This is kind of fragmented; I have several threads running through my head all at once; so bear with me here...
What is "fitting in" in America? Do we even have an American culture? From time to time, I get to listen to people complain about certain immigrant groups in the US not bothering to accept and integrate American values and traditions. I tend to think they're full of shit, until I travel through parts of the country where there IS a strong and vibrant culture, and then I think again.
I got stuck in a psychiatric ward for a few weeks, and got to meet all sorts of interesting people there. One dude who I can't stop thinking about is this Yugoslavian (Bosnian) refugee who grew up in my hometown. He was an interesting dude; his family was a pretty classy bunch, but then, his dad was a truck driver, which isn't really such a classy job at all. He was also really smart, and super good company, which pissed me off, because I'm always ranting on the 'net about how trying to hold a nontrivial conversation within my circle of acquaintances is pretty much a waste of breath. Why did I have to get stuck in the psych ward before I could meet someone who I liked? Why couldn't I meet this person just walking around town doing my thing?
At least in 'mainstream' America, it appears that anyone with any talent is pushed, or pushes themselves to make something of themselves. Essentially, if you're not ambitious, ambitiousness is foisted onto you. No one wants to grow up to simply be an adult. With my immigrant friends, I notice a willingness to simply 'be', to take things one step at a time, and not plan too far ahead, which once I recognized as simply European, but now I'm thinking that maybe it applies to the rest of the world as well...
My point is, you don't meet smart, interesting Americans working shit jobs. At least not where I grew up (where I live now, folks don't get such a huge attitude about working retail). It's bizarre to me to know that these kids exist, these kids whose lives are so similar to my own in many ways, and yet, who are not 'plugged in'. They don't try to get into the best and most expensive universities, send their kids to the Y for swim lessons, or shop at Walmart. My friend didn't even own a car; which is cool, I like to bike too -- but he didn't even WANT to own a car. That's odd; kids I know whose families have been here for a few generations know that they MUST get a car, and once they do get that car, they spend the rest of their lives taking it out on anything else with fewer that four wheels.
Why is there such a lack of communication between the different ethnic groups in this country? Is 'balkanization' really a bad thing? Personally, I love talking to people who understand the world from a different mindset, so long as they're willing to realize that I am indeed making that effort, and living in an effective democracy requires that effort from everyone, and not just white people, blah blah blah...
How bad IS 'balkanization, after all? Often, in the past, I've been happy that people were holding onto their tradions and 'old world' mindset, because I secretly thought that most of my fellow countrymen were materialistic, self-absorbed assholes, and it was nice to chat with people who were somewhat less deluded. But maybe that's just what I get for living in Houston. I visit nice places like Virginia, Massachusetts, and I start to feel that we've really got something good going for ourselves here, and maybe I shouldn't be so critical.
1) Behaving in such a way that you are accepted.Originally Posted by ricericerice!
2) Yes
3) I don't know why you ended up in a psych ward.
4) I don't know.
5) How do you know there is a lack of comm?
6) It depends.
7) What units do you want your answer in?
Oh! Gee are you clever.
Go smoke some more pot.
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