Damn America.

I have made a decision, every kid in public education in the states *Yup, that's what I call it now!* should be required to learn a second language. At Mullins tonight, the pub directly across the street from us *Mom, Dad, Kees, Rita, Becky, Sarah, Adam, and anyone else who knows the Nite-Cap, this is the equivalent, only, Mullins is less then the distance of a football field away* I met so many people from so many different ethnicities. Not like we see in the states, *Yup, that's what I call it now!* but people speaking so many other languages. For a long time I always thought, 'Why should I learn a language other than English; English is the language of the world; it is all we need to conduct business. If someone needs to speak to me, THEY can learn my language.' My rationalizations have proved to be naivety in its prime form. I can't believe, now, reflecting on everything, after speaking with some fellas from Quebec, I DO NOT understand the world as I thought I did. It is so much bigger than we, as Americans, comprehend. It is few and far between that you meet someone from the states, with something other than the American 'take no shit' mentality that eventually we, or I, realize, that this global society, is bigger than us, bigger than our homeland, bigger than a continent. I came home two hours ago -- three hours now --, and could not sleep. I felt a compulsion to provide an explanation. Everyone here seems to have been somewhere that is completely out of their respective norm. They have experienced that which I yearn for. I want to be lost, completely immersed in culture, not my own, somewhere that I must scratch and claw my way out of, the abyss that confuses every sense of me. I attempt, futilely if I may add, to justify myself with the realization that I will be visiting London in a few weeks. However, I have not even scratched the surface here, in Toronto. It seems I, in my brief visit here, have only met interesting people, whom have spent years, minimally, at countries I have only heard of on the news. I feel behind. They speak the languages, know the culture, and it is truly appreciated by those who understand the experience. I met a fellow, from Grand Rapids, who was in New Zealand when the quake hit. Everyone who has CNN, Fox News, or owns a television, understands the devastation suffered by the people of New Zealand. This guy, abandoned his studies, helped the people of New Zealand, on his own volition, meaning, he chose to. After rendering aid to these people, whom he had never met, he had the opportunity to visit the farthest reaches of the world. He backpacked throughout the Far East. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and more. Again, I feel behind. There are so many individuals that do so much for the world, requesting nothing in return, I feel disappointed with myself. All I know is the U.S. I am not a sadist. I do not derive pleasure from demeaning, degrading, or by any other measure, slandering myself. The basis for this self inquiry is, that there is MUCH more than us, as a people, as a culture, as a nation. We must not forget that, recession or not, jobless or rich, hungry or fat, the world is our oyster, not Michigan, not the United States, not North America. We must embrace every culture, every nationality, every ethnicity as it were our own. We are much more than Wall Street, the Auto Industry, Manufacturing, or Big Business. We as Americans do not, to be modest, have the most minute clue what the world is. I haven't met a Canadian who does not speak another language, or who has not spent a year or two in another country. This is by no means a discredit to Americans, but the point of the matter is, that as one of the most affluent countries in the world, rarely do we visit our backyards, let alone visit another nation on the opposite side of the globe. We don't know. What is knowing but experience? So I vow to all of you out there, here and now, I am going to make every effort to broaden my horizons. I will experience those things that we can only hope to experience in a good episode on the travel channel. There is more to pictures, language, culture, and the ramblings of an American 'kid' than a televised expedition on the travel channel. I have consciously made my effort known to all of you, to get out there, see the world, make my effort, and put a smile on the faces of those who still have the notion, impression, or misconception that we, as Americans, have turned our backs on the world. The question is, will you?