I don’t consider myself very worldly, even if I have been to a variety of different countries and like supporting and reflecting upon them. But because I have grown up somewhat over the years, and have had friends from a variety of countries, I would like to understand some of where they came from so I try to be open minded. I’m guessing knowing them in college and post college has inspired me to write this blog and be more observant.
When I hear those songs from the eighties celebrating people from Africa and all over the world to join together, I think, this is why cities seem like the place to be these days and they make us a stronger community/country. My Dad says the reason the United States is so strong is because of the people. Maybe because we have so many different personalities, we are forced to deal with each in a positive way or go crazy.
I sometimes consider the people who are from a different country as being more sought out and getting special privilege. I know, they must come from different circumstances and maybe when you are an outsider, you really do learn more and become stronger because of it. With that being said, I remember seeing a Time or Newsweek article back in the nineties about what the average US person will look like in forty years with all the cultures intermingling and such. And I keep hearing how “minorities” are becoming the majority around us, so those illegal aliens that we hire to nanny our kids and cook our food, might just be the ones to overrule us someday (a certain president comes to mind when I say that).
But anyway, one of the reasons why I feel like I can relate to those from other countries, (3rd world, 2nd world, and 1st world) is because I live a simpler life, or like to think that I do. I sometimes do buy expensive food and do other artsy related activities, but I believe that simplicity is at the heart of all that and so I focus on being in the moment.
I know I’ve focused on hummus for the majority of this blog, but when I’m eating it, I feel like I am subsisting on my fair share of the world’s resources. I also feel that one’s lifestyle is so important all over the world, which may explain why people from other countries view the US as living beyond their means. But then I hear that other countries are adapting American ways and think that they are giving up their cultural identity to live like us.
I bet you’ve guessed how incredibly frugal I am from reading my blog right? See, I don’t have much money, so I force myself to think that thrift stores are the wave of the future, cds are here to stay, going out to eat is a once in a blue moon thing, and oil is sooo last season.