responding to Stephanies question on qualities of your nation

“What do you feel YOUR country, your nation holds as special, something that your people offer to the world?
I don't like generalizations, but feel that each nation probably has something truly personal that they offer. Perhaps Italians offer traditional beauty in their art and history, as well as (often) their flamboyant personalities and expressiveness? Americans, is their "something special" their positive and young attitude and openess to new things? And YOUR country? “- Stephanie Seymour’s charge

My response:

America is so rich and varied it would be hard to capture its essence. I recently expressed a desire to travel to the states that I have not been to those between the Mississippi River and the Rockies with the exception of Louisiana, Texas and Utah. The only state east of the Mississippi the only state I haven’t traveled in east of the Mississippi is Michigan. My dear friend here a transplant from Missouri via San Francisco said “why ? its all the same corporate conglomerate.” She is a bit of a cynic and an anarchist that’s why I like her.

I like to travel and meet people: different accents, different customs, yes even the US there are many differences. I think that is one thing I enjoy about America variety and choices. And for the most part respect for that variety. Some one here asked me what a slang term meant and I could only say that it was more of a southern expression and I really wasn’t sure exactly what it meant. The landscape is varied and awesome here. In Maine we have a ragged coastline much like Norway’s and gentle old mountains. Deep unpeopled forests and many lakes and rivers. It is a rural and economically poor area, a summer playground for the larger cities along the east coast. There are a lot of artists and writers and old hippies here, people who live off the sea and the land… lumber, potatoes, blueberries. Many work in the tourist industry because it is a beautiful place.

Other areas are flat and swampy, we have deserts, plains and towering mountains. The culture varies in different regions. The pace slows. Some places you would never know that there are vast areas with few people.

Aside from the natural beauty and unpopulated spaces, I feel blessed to have grown up here because of the many freedoms we have. Even though things are not always equal or perfect we can speak out easily (not there haven’t been struggles along the way in the woman’s movement and the civil rights movement) and work to make changes. It is a country with great potential to evolve. A country with a lot of hope in general. There are many religions especially in the more populated areas an incredible multitude of Christian sects, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, pagans, Bahia, Hindu just about any religious community you‘d like. I like that and for the most part we all get along and respect our different faiths.

One thing that I don’t like culturally is that we by and large all speak American English. In the south you may find a lot of Spanish speakers and around here some French Canadian. In school we don’t have to take a foreign language if we don’t wish to and I find that to be arrogant of our culture. That is something I admire in other countries. Because we have the right to speak out on anything we please I think Americans are naturally a bit loud and boisterous in general, but not always. Because of our freedoms I think that we are very confident and feel entitled in general as a people, used to coming and going as we please. That can be a good thing when coupled with a respect for others, it can be an inspiration.