By Greg Doering, Kansas Farm Bureau
I can’t help but think that all of the events planned for America’s 250th birthday have been upstaged by World Cup visitors giving us fresh insight into how lucky we are to live in the United States.
Foreign visitors have reminded us that our everyday lives are extraordinary — from our giant gas stations to the overwhelming choices we have in grocery store aisles — compared with much of the world.
Usually, one has to leave the U.S. to experience such a revelation. Now, we can use the eyes and experiences of our visitors to rediscover how our ordinary is awe inspiring.
It’s far too easy to become accustomed to our surroundings. I’m sure there are Italians who don’t bother to look up if they’re passing the Colosseum or Trevi Fountain. Or residents of Tokyo who don’t see anything special about the endless stretch of skyscrapers that make up the skyline. And I’m sure even Egyptians don’t so much as glance at the pyramids and contemplate the past 5,000 years of civilization.
One of the few benefits of social media is that we get to follow along as our visitors see with fresh eyes what we’ve previously considered mundane like free chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant or gratis ice water basically anywhere. They’ve also experienced receiving severe weather alerts, have drunk Boston taverns dry and fallen in love with ranch dressing.
And, of course, it’s good to finally have the rest of the world recognize that air conditioning is, in fact, a necessity and not a luxury for much of the continental U.S. Fortunately for our visitors, the World Cup will conclude well before August’s sweltering temperatures.
If there is one lesson I hope both the hosts and guests take away from these encounters, aside from Europeans coming around to putting ice in drinks, it’s that while borders do give shape to a country, the people are more alike than we appear.
Different cultures and their customs are shaped by geography, but at the end of the day, we all have much more in common than not. A good meal with friends both new and old is always welcome no matter where you’re from.
As delightful as it is to have visitors genuinely enjoying our country, I know from past travels abroad the novelty of a new nation fades. Eventually the comforts of home will overcome all the new experiences here.
For me, after being out of the country for a few days, there’s nothing like returning home and having a cheeseburger and fries as my first meal off the plane. I’m sure our guests will have similar experiences when they return home as well.
Until then, those of us in the U.S. can be thankful for a cultural exchange that hasn’t required a passport, security lines or any travel anxiety. Rather, we’ve been given a golden opportunity to rediscover our own culture through the awe and astonishment of others. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.
