Today, since it’s my sisters’ birthday, I’m particularly thinking about home, which also means thinking about America. Lately, I feel like I’ve been taking one for the team over here across the pond!
When I first arrived in Scotland most people were friendly enough, lightheartedly making jokes at the expense of the land of the free, usually rightly so. Let’s face it, America asks for it most of the time. However, something happened last week. A kernel of patriotism was found in my true blue heart. So many people were making slams against the States and I had to be there to protect my country!
For an instance, how do you respond when a dinner conversation begins with, “O, no offense, but why the heck do Americans think they’re so amazing?” Or, when you make a comment about how you love the history of the British Isles and another friend says snidely, “Well, yes, that’s because we actually have a history.” Ouch! Time after time, whether it’s making fun of our capitalistic sensibilities or insisting that British English is the only way to speak the language, I found myself almost getting angry. I haven’t felt this way since I landed in London! Even more upsetting, is that the only response I could come up with to counteract their attacks was, “O yeah? That’s why we fought a war to get rid of you people!”
Of course these jests are in fun, but the jokes are certainly echoes of deeper sentiments which have divided our fine nations since that fateful day in 1776. Although I do concede that rugby is far superior to American football and driving on the correct side of the road makes much more sense – I want to maintain a sense of national pride. And yet, when I tried to think of highlights of American culture, my British friend blankly asked me, “What culture?” I suppose this thought process will take a bit longer than expected!
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