copoffahana. sorry.
my america.
a while back I read on her journal an entry about how she was proud to be british. and about her england. and I enjoyed it, and sort of tucked it away because I wasn't quite sure to say to that as I am neither english, nor am I from england. it made me want to turn an eye on my own country, on my nationality and how I feel. and now I'll steal a page out of her book.
I think -- especially here online where I'd say the vast majority of people are "liberal" (and if I am typical new-england liberal in policy, I'm talking california's lifestyle liberal) -- it's generally seen sort of uncool to be "hey, I actually like america." like, being american is something you should be embarrassed about. or . . . it's okay for other people from other countries to love their country and chant its name or be enthusiastic or something, but it's tasteless if you're an american and you do that. you're stupid and fat and ignorant and . . . oblivious. or just completely naive. so naive that you don't realize you're not supposed to love this country, or even like it. and that's okay. you don't have to like this country. and all those things that are distinctly "american" (and some of the things that aren't) . . . well, you don't have to take along with you.
thing is . . . I really do. I love america, and I love being an american. and that makes me neither ignorant nor oblivious. because I have no pretenses about america's history and about america today. if anything, as a young person, as a woman, and as a member of the minority -- a black american -- I have even fewer pretenses. I know what america's done -- just like I know what all those other european nations have done -- and I know what america continues to do. I think, thank God, loving this country and liking being an american and being proud of my national just as I'm proud of all those other things that I am does not mean I have to like the administration or approve of my countrymen or anything like that.
I like that when I left this country and when I came back . . . and any time I'm going somewhere . . . on the subway, on the train . . . I think of jazz. I love that when I travel around this country and I leave one station and come into another terminal, I hear jazz. I love that I feel like jazz and the doors in and out of the country feel like jazz. I love that "so what" by miles davis reminds me of this country. because it's the most random, sweet, simple thing, and it just makes me laugh. I love that so many other random things make me think of this country and whether or not I cound find them someplace else, they feel american to me. like apple cider and lemonade. and plain, unglazed doughnuts and how they're almost this spicy kind of sweet. like, you're unsure whether or not you like it when you first taste it.
I love the east coast. and I like that even though this country is young, it's just old enough. so that I go up and down this coast and know I'm in the oldest part of this place and it's beautiful. I think washington dc is beautiful as is new york, depending upon where you are. I love that I can go from new england and it's long roads that go through the mountains and into the woods between towns down to the city and then catch the amtrack train to washington and be in the center of it all. I love that when I feel like it on days off, I wake up and go downtown, get off the bus in front of the white house and wander with some hot chocolate down to the washington monument and the national mall and just hang out and giggle at the tourists.
I like that I think americans are some of the friendliest people you can meet. which is not to say we can't be ass-holes, but then everyone can be an ass-hole. I like that random people who don't know each other here talk to each other anyway. and that there isn't the distance or the understood "you keep to yourself, I'll keep to me and we just won't bump each other" feeling I got in europe. and frankly, I like that we're loud. I think it's fun. I like that when I'm in american cities there's this energy and this vitality that I haven't found other places. a giggle and a grin and a shared sentiment between strangers that's kind of . . . "we're going, aren't we?" I love the west side. and I like midtown. and I like the subways here.
I like that we have all the seasons here, for the most part. and I like the variety. and I like that though we bitch, it gets nice and hot in the summer and cold and snow-y in the winter and crisp in the fall and breezy in the spring. I like those shared community experiences. I like block parties with kool aid and hamburgers, hot dogs and watermelon and corn on the cob. I like the 4th of july just because it's a big party. I like waking up saturday mornings after my mom has taken my brother to basketball, then going out to georgetown or somewhere in the afternoon and seeing all the little kids in their different colored sports uniforms or still in their tights and leotard from ballet, or whatever their little morning activity is. I like that you never see anyone over sixteen until three in the afternoon when we're beginning to wake up. and I like going to the multiplex just as much as I like art houses. I like seeing everyone with their popcorn and soda seeing the big action movie or whatever. not because I like the movie, but just because it's fun. and I like going to beach towns, because no one is mean there.
I like that we're showy. it's fun . . . that sparkle and shimmer and gloss. it's also nice to be an american and not a tourist from out of town or out of country and see beyond that. and I like that it doesn't make much effort to see beyond it if you just look. I also <3 that we don't have to be showy, and that if you look, you can find quality and substance.
and I like that people can hate hollywood and "the industry" but they still buy CDs and they still go to the movies and watch television, so nyeh.
I like thanksgiving because we all eat. and I don't care how fat the rest of the world thinks we are. the food is good. I like walking around NYC at night when all the crazy people come out to play and you could just people watch all night and laugh. I like seeing little kids getting into trouble. I like watching saturday night live instead of monty python (which -- forgive me -- reminds me that I don't think british comedy is better than american comedy, nor is it more sophsticated). and I like sesame street and cartoons, and I like those movies we all watch around holiday time.
it makes me laugh when people self-righteously hate this country. they certainly have their right to, but sometimes it's based upon nothing. or it's for the wrong reasons. or for illogical reasons. and I like liking america, because . . . well. it's jazz.
i like now no one will see this post. :D
a while back I read on her journal an entry about how she was proud to be british. and about her england. and I enjoyed it, and sort of tucked it away because I wasn't quite sure to say to that as I am neither english, nor am I from england. it made me want to turn an eye on my own country, on my nationality and how I feel. and now I'll steal a page out of her book.
I think -- especially here online where I'd say the vast majority of people are "liberal" (and if I am typical new-england liberal in policy, I'm talking california's lifestyle liberal) -- it's generally seen sort of uncool to be "hey, I actually like america." like, being american is something you should be embarrassed about. or . . . it's okay for other people from other countries to love their country and chant its name or be enthusiastic or something, but it's tasteless if you're an american and you do that. you're stupid and fat and ignorant and . . . oblivious. or just completely naive. so naive that you don't realize you're not supposed to love this country, or even like it. and that's okay. you don't have to like this country. and all those things that are distinctly "american" (and some of the things that aren't) . . . well, you don't have to take along with you.
thing is . . . I really do. I love america, and I love being an american. and that makes me neither ignorant nor oblivious. because I have no pretenses about america's history and about america today. if anything, as a young person, as a woman, and as a member of the minority -- a black american -- I have even fewer pretenses. I know what america's done -- just like I know what all those other european nations have done -- and I know what america continues to do. I think, thank God, loving this country and liking being an american and being proud of my national just as I'm proud of all those other things that I am does not mean I have to like the administration or approve of my countrymen or anything like that.
I like that when I left this country and when I came back . . . and any time I'm going somewhere . . . on the subway, on the train . . . I think of jazz. I love that when I travel around this country and I leave one station and come into another terminal, I hear jazz. I love that I feel like jazz and the doors in and out of the country feel like jazz. I love that "so what" by miles davis reminds me of this country. because it's the most random, sweet, simple thing, and it just makes me laugh. I love that so many other random things make me think of this country and whether or not I cound find them someplace else, they feel american to me. like apple cider and lemonade. and plain, unglazed doughnuts and how they're almost this spicy kind of sweet. like, you're unsure whether or not you like it when you first taste it.
I love the east coast. and I like that even though this country is young, it's just old enough. so that I go up and down this coast and know I'm in the oldest part of this place and it's beautiful. I think washington dc is beautiful as is new york, depending upon where you are. I love that I can go from new england and it's long roads that go through the mountains and into the woods between towns down to the city and then catch the amtrack train to washington and be in the center of it all. I love that when I feel like it on days off, I wake up and go downtown, get off the bus in front of the white house and wander with some hot chocolate down to the washington monument and the national mall and just hang out and giggle at the tourists.
I like that I think americans are some of the friendliest people you can meet. which is not to say we can't be ass-holes, but then everyone can be an ass-hole. I like that random people who don't know each other here talk to each other anyway. and that there isn't the distance or the understood "you keep to yourself, I'll keep to me and we just won't bump each other" feeling I got in europe. and frankly, I like that we're loud. I think it's fun. I like that when I'm in american cities there's this energy and this vitality that I haven't found other places. a giggle and a grin and a shared sentiment between strangers that's kind of . . . "we're going, aren't we?" I love the west side. and I like midtown. and I like the subways here.
I like that we have all the seasons here, for the most part. and I like the variety. and I like that though we bitch, it gets nice and hot in the summer and cold and snow-y in the winter and crisp in the fall and breezy in the spring. I like those shared community experiences. I like block parties with kool aid and hamburgers, hot dogs and watermelon and corn on the cob. I like the 4th of july just because it's a big party. I like waking up saturday mornings after my mom has taken my brother to basketball, then going out to georgetown or somewhere in the afternoon and seeing all the little kids in their different colored sports uniforms or still in their tights and leotard from ballet, or whatever their little morning activity is. I like that you never see anyone over sixteen until three in the afternoon when we're beginning to wake up. and I like going to the multiplex just as much as I like art houses. I like seeing everyone with their popcorn and soda seeing the big action movie or whatever. not because I like the movie, but just because it's fun. and I like going to beach towns, because no one is mean there.
I like that we're showy. it's fun . . . that sparkle and shimmer and gloss. it's also nice to be an american and not a tourist from out of town or out of country and see beyond that. and I like that it doesn't make much effort to see beyond it if you just look. I also <3 that we don't have to be showy, and that if you look, you can find quality and substance.
and I like that people can hate hollywood and "the industry" but they still buy CDs and they still go to the movies and watch television, so nyeh.
I like thanksgiving because we all eat. and I don't care how fat the rest of the world thinks we are. the food is good. I like walking around NYC at night when all the crazy people come out to play and you could just people watch all night and laugh. I like seeing little kids getting into trouble. I like watching saturday night live instead of monty python (which -- forgive me -- reminds me that I don't think british comedy is better than american comedy, nor is it more sophsticated). and I like sesame street and cartoons, and I like those movies we all watch around holiday time.
it makes me laugh when people self-righteously hate this country. they certainly have their right to, but sometimes it's based upon nothing. or it's for the wrong reasons. or for illogical reasons. and I like liking america, because . . . well. it's jazz.
i like now no one will see this post. :D