Chapter Five: Potentially Unamerican (or Yoga>Football)

So the SuperBowl is today - Americana at its finest (or worst).
Living on the West Coast up until last June, I was prepared for the SuperBowl to take place in the afternoon and halfheartedly was planning on watching some of it before my candlelight yoga class tonight.

Turns out, it's 3 hours later here. Go figure. So the game is on right in the middle of my yoga class. I am choosing yoga. Am I un-American?

Actually, kinda sorta maybe.

When I lived in France for my semester abroad my host family said I didn't look American. All of their friends who they later introduced me to concurred with this. The rationale was such: First and foremost I am skinny. Americans are fat, everybody knows that! Second, I was NOT blonde. And third, I was not tan.

I know, I am an enigma of an American.

Additionally, there is my choice of diet. The last time I ate a hamburger I was I believe a freshman in college. And now I don't really eat meat at all, so that takes care of hot dogs and steak too. I HATE apple pie. I do not eat fast food - at all. I say "no" to SPAM. I could live off of potatoes (hey, I'm Irish!) - and I DO NOT mean french fries (I get a stomach ache just thinking about them). I do not believe that milkshakes bring boys to the yard - nor do I know what this means. I do not imbibe Coca-Cola OR Pepsi on a regular basis - perhaps once every three months.

And of course, my shopping preferences. I don't frequent WalMart. I am obsessed with Etsy. Plus, as previously mentioned I am not buying clothes/shoes/accessories that are not absolutely necessary.

I guess I am a New Age/Environmentalist/Crazy American.

In many ways I would love to be an Expat. No, just flat out I would love to be an Expat (but only if I was to live in France - this is still on my docket of "things to do"). I envy the EU's activism concerning the environment and climate change. They are actually making drastic changes, while we over here are still arguing whether or not it exists!!! Ugh.

Of course, everything I just listed that renders me un-American are stereotypes of being American. That's just my point. Being American is a stereotype. I do not think there are many things that link us all together and define us. Politics certainly does not, nor does shopping/eating habits. I could cop out and say "oh it's a sense of Patriotism or love for one's country." Nope. I am not proud of half the things our country does. But I do like living here (for now), and the privileges that come along with it. I guess that's what makes me American...

That and my mixed heritage...

Yours,
SW