It's easiest to criticize your own country. It's like your family. They may look good in Christmas photos, but you pay the therapy bills. You know these people. Just like you know your country.
I think it's impossible, after living outside the States, to look at things the same way. I've started to say things like, "That's very American of you." Now, some of these things are huge positives. But we have some bad habits. I've noticed something of a spoiled child syndrome. I was in a parking lot at Costco (yes, very American of me) and went to take a spot. I stopped when I realized another woman already had her blinker on. But it was too late. She shook her head, threw her hands in the air, threw a mini fit and gestured vigorously for me to just go ahead and just take it despite how difficult I was making her very important life because damn it! didn't I know who she was?! Americans in their cars are very bold to make clear to the whole world how inconvenient everyone else makes their life.
The adventure continued, on foot (I left Miss Thing to her parking place). I dodged around a truck parked in what was supposed to be a moving lane of traffic (she was waiting for someone to pull out of their parking spot because it was close to the front), stopped short as people cut me off on foot or walked in front of me and stopped suddenly to look for their keys or read a text. It struck me for the first time how much like spoiled children we are. We get our way so much that we can't handle it when we don't. We expect it. And we often don't bother watching out for other people. We're oblivious.
Observe a coffee shop. Most of the customers will be nice. And even the nice ones will catch the attention of a barista who's just scalded their arm rather seriously, and say in a sweet voice "Hey, can I get whipped cream on that?"
I used to get annoyed at this idea the whole world seems to have that Americans are rich, but I finally realized we are. Now, it's expensive to live in the States. And the standard of living we keep does cost. Most of us don't buy an iPhone with a week's pocket money. But if we want something, we can get it. A car, a place to live, spending money, new clothes, shoes for various occasions, airfare from coast to coast and gas money are all standard. Our poor live better than 90% of the world. What we call common, most of the world would call extravagant. Compared to Madonna, most Americans aren't rich. Compared to most everyone else, we are.
Combine the attitude that everyone should cater to us, watch out for us, make way for us, with the posh lifestyle available around us, and we look like spoiled children. Where does our sense of entitlement come from? Why do we think we deserve everything? There's nothing wrong with decorating your house, owning a car, getting a smartphone. But to think the world owes us these things...why? Do I deserve more than a street kid in Bolivia? Or a student in eastern Europe? Or a mother in China?
I think it's impossible, after living outside the States, to look at things the same way. I've started to say things like, "That's very American of you." Now, some of these things are huge positives. But we have some bad habits. I've noticed something of a spoiled child syndrome. I was in a parking lot at Costco (yes, very American of me) and went to take a spot. I stopped when I realized another woman already had her blinker on. But it was too late. She shook her head, threw her hands in the air, threw a mini fit and gestured vigorously for me to just go ahead and just take it despite how difficult I was making her very important life because damn it! didn't I know who she was?! Americans in their cars are very bold to make clear to the whole world how inconvenient everyone else makes their life.
The adventure continued, on foot (I left Miss Thing to her parking place). I dodged around a truck parked in what was supposed to be a moving lane of traffic (she was waiting for someone to pull out of their parking spot because it was close to the front), stopped short as people cut me off on foot or walked in front of me and stopped suddenly to look for their keys or read a text. It struck me for the first time how much like spoiled children we are. We get our way so much that we can't handle it when we don't. We expect it. And we often don't bother watching out for other people. We're oblivious.
Observe a coffee shop. Most of the customers will be nice. And even the nice ones will catch the attention of a barista who's just scalded their arm rather seriously, and say in a sweet voice "Hey, can I get whipped cream on that?"
I used to get annoyed at this idea the whole world seems to have that Americans are rich, but I finally realized we are. Now, it's expensive to live in the States. And the standard of living we keep does cost. Most of us don't buy an iPhone with a week's pocket money. But if we want something, we can get it. A car, a place to live, spending money, new clothes, shoes for various occasions, airfare from coast to coast and gas money are all standard. Our poor live better than 90% of the world. What we call common, most of the world would call extravagant. Compared to Madonna, most Americans aren't rich. Compared to most everyone else, we are.
Combine the attitude that everyone should cater to us, watch out for us, make way for us, with the posh lifestyle available around us, and we look like spoiled children. Where does our sense of entitlement come from? Why do we think we deserve everything? There's nothing wrong with decorating your house, owning a car, getting a smartphone. But to think the world owes us these things...why? Do I deserve more than a street kid in Bolivia? Or a student in eastern Europe? Or a mother in China?
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