Pictures are views from our temporary home.
I’ve been looking forward to living someplace other than the United States. There are all the reasons for living abroad: opportunities, travel, adventure. But I have to admit, there are some reasons I want to be away from America right now, and it’s not the usual, “I hate the current administration” stuff. It has nothing to do with politics. I’ve become disillusioned with our consumer culture and the accompanying complacency.
One of the biggest reasons we’ve pursued this course is that we worry about the influence that the consumer culture is having on our kids. We feel that they see examples in our culture and with their peers that promote the idea that you don’t need to worry about your future, and that everything you want is easy to acquire. By living in a culture in which failing to do well in school literally can mean you lose any chance of landing a decent job, we believe our children will appreciate the opportunities our country has to offer, and see the value of hard work and perseverance.
So during this process, I’ve been feeling no regret about leaving the US for a time, maybe a long time. That is, until about a month ago. I was attending the funeral of my step-grandfather. He was a WWII vet and had a military funeral. The ceremonial unfolding and folding of the flag was very impressive to me, and as they displayed the flag I started crying, really sobbing. I couldn’t help it; the sorrow of leaving my country was totally overwhelming. I’m sure people thought I was mourning my step-grandfather, but at that moment I was mourning the loss of my country, both in a real sense by leaving, and what I feel is a loss of the strength and resolve of its people. I love my country, and I hope that I’m wrong, but I’m worried about where we are headed, and it has less to do with our elected officials, and more to do with the people electing them.
One of the biggest reasons we’ve pursued this course is that we worry about the influence that the consumer culture is having on our kids. We feel that they see examples in our culture and with their peers that promote the idea that you don’t need to worry about your future, and that everything you want is easy to acquire. By living in a culture in which failing to do well in school literally can mean you lose any chance of landing a decent job, we believe our children will appreciate the opportunities our country has to offer, and see the value of hard work and perseverance.
So during this process, I’ve been feeling no regret about leaving the US for a time, maybe a long time. That is, until about a month ago. I was attending the funeral of my step-grandfather. He was a WWII vet and had a military funeral. The ceremonial unfolding and folding of the flag was very impressive to me, and as they displayed the flag I started crying, really sobbing. I couldn’t help it; the sorrow of leaving my country was totally overwhelming. I’m sure people thought I was mourning my step-grandfather, but at that moment I was mourning the loss of my country, both in a real sense by leaving, and what I feel is a loss of the strength and resolve of its people. I love my country, and I hope that I’m wrong, but I’m worried about where we are headed, and it has less to do with our elected officials, and more to do with the people electing them.
2 comments:
Lee, I am relieved to read your thoughts about consuming. It is something I have thought a lot about lately, and I couldn't agree with you more. Thanks for describing it so elegantly!
Ulrika
Thanks, Ulrika! I think about this alot, and I hope we're able to make some changes in that regard. I think being "out-of-our-element" will make us be more conscious of this concept. I'll definitely post more about this as we see the results.
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