By: Jennifer Richardson Holt
There is something new making the rounds of the internet. Fortunately, I got to be in on this new trend long before it became the cool thing to put on social media. You see, since the World Cup is being held in America there are tons of Europeans here falling madly in love with the country I call home. It has become a new pastime for those of us who have always lived here to watch videos of people from other countries discovering everything we have to offer. I completely understand the appeal because you see, I got to do this very thing years ago and yes, it’s absolutely wonderful.
I have written before about my brother across the ocean. He is a lover of America though he lives in England. In fact, he has specifically told me that it would be his dream to live in rural Alabama like me, which is likely a wild concept to most of you reading this, I know it certainly was to me. But the thing is, I got to witness when he first set foot on American soil. And once he got over the jetlag it was a thing to behold.
Unlike these soccer (and yes as your typical American I am going to call it as much) fans, he fell in love with the place before he got here so I do understand that the scenario isn’t exactly the same. It wasn’t a blind reaction that I got to see because he knew what he was coming for, however it still had its moments. And with us being in the South, first experiences of food are a huge portion (see what I did there) of the abject glory of the first time American encounters.
I have very much enjoyed watching all these videos of people trying foods that seem to very much change their lives. Very often they are dishes that I have regularly enjoyed. Now I understand if we were talking about some special delicacy that is not so easy to come by. We all have our special indulgences we seek out but this is something altogether different. We watch these people visit the most ordinary fast-food joint or order a dish that we’ve eaten our whole lives and watch eyes roll back in heads and sound effects that border on inappropriate. And if the dish is a personal favorite of your own you get to smile and nod as they join that club you were already a part of.
We’re not talking only euphoric eating experiences, however. People are in awe of the friendliness of the people. And while this revelation makes me smile it also saddens me because, as a person who has never left this country (and I genuinely hope that it doesn’t stay that way) I have always known the warm welcome to guests to be the standard. I have traveled to most parts of the nation, and I certainly cannot deny that the reception will vary a bit from region to region. I do grasp that I happen to live in the area known for its big-hearted hospitality, and that isn’t just me being biased either that is an understood fact. But seeing foreign visitors be shocked at simple kindness tells me that the story that people outside of our country have been fed tells them that they should expect otherwise.
As a person who can be described as irrationally hospitable, this pains me. We have welcomed people in this country from every corner of the globe, since, well, since this country began. We are a nation built of people from everywhere and anywhere. It’s kind of our thing. But these visitors are shocked and surprised when we are happy to have them and are pleased to share all we know and love with them. This means that somehow, they had either been told or seen something that made them expect something otherwise. This saddens me.
I am so glad that the world is bearing witness to this. Thank goodness for the internet that allows all these wonderful experiences to be on global display. I am not even a soccer fan. But thank goodness for the World Cup that lets people from all over come and find out the truth for themselves. While I am sad so many have been lied to, I am thrilled to see people learn firsthand what a magnificent place this is. I’ve witnessed it myself as my British brother tried all the foods and saw all the sights and fell more and more in love with each bite and step.
While the good publicity is amazing there is something else that these viral videos are good for. We Americans often take this incredible country for granted. I suppose it’s something like a mountaintop view. You can’t really take in the full scope of the majesty until you get out of the everyday valley living and see things from a new perspective. It’s hard for us to wrap our heads around how blessed we are until we’ve been given a new way of looking at things. And thanks to something as simple as a sports championship, both natives and guests get a stunning view.
Prose and Possibilities 