How NOT to raise an American

I saw the book, How to Raise an American, at the bookstore and thought,... well, that's a book I DON'T want to read.

As important as I think it is to learn US history (particularly if you live in the States), there are some very American attitudes, habits, perspectives that I do not want my US-born child(ren) to adopt. Here's a short list:

• The US is the center of the universe. It is the greatest country in the world. Nobody else lives in a free society. You're lucky to be born here.
• Anything American -- food, clothes, TV, politicians, policies, education, lifestyle, is "superior."
• The rest of the world is inferior, behind, third-world, has nothing to offer. We are here to civilize them and to teach them our better way of doing life.
• Traveling outside of the US is not safe, unless it's on a cruise ship where we can dock at the very American ports where it's "safe."
• My highest aspiration is to be "normal" and blend in with everyone and live a life that is a checklist of acceptable behavior. No risks. Just a nice comfortable life with a good job, 401k, house, white picket fence, job and 2.5 kids. Otherwise known as the American dream.
• It's all about me and how much I can accumulate in my lifetime. My taxes will pay for government services to take care of the poor. I gotta take care of me and mine.
• I love stuff. I love gadgets and I have to have the latest and greatest. I work hard and I deserve it.
• I'm not being disrespectful! I'm just exercising my freedom of speech.
• You're violating MY RIGHTS and I'M TAKING YOU TO COURT.
• I am sooooooo cool. I must see every movie on opening night. I watch ET and Access Hollywood religiously. I have all the DVD collection of XYZ show/movie. I must have that new handbag. And "Mom! I need a new outfit for the party this weekend!"
  
• I want to be a celebrity. Even for just 5 minutes through a YouTube clip that gets distributed worldwide.
• Oh wait. I am a celebrity in my own mind.
  
• Anyone with less education (or a different education), with an accent, with a different way of life, who dresses funny and doesn't watch the latest, hottest show/movie, or has the latest iPod with the #1 song downloaded, is and will be treated as a second-class citizen.
• Our economy suffers because companies ship jobs overseas...but I sure love my bargain-basement prices!
• I'll stick to the foods I know and the brands I like, thanks.
  
• Everyone else is responsible for my aches and pains, my troubles, my problems. It's somebody else's fault. Always.
  

Okay... I said this would be a short list. Certainly, all Americans aren't like this... but I think you have to be very intentional about raising a child in this American culture without him/her adopting these attitudes. Right or wrong?

Our great depression

This is my hundredth post. Yeah!

Remember, in grade school, reading about the Great Depression and how in World War II the government imposed civilian rations for food, gas, medicine and other essentials? What if something similar happened today? What sacrifices might we need to make in order to put our personal budgets back on track in this Great Recession?

One of the reasons that I voted for Obama is because he's smart and motivational. If he told every American family to tighten their economic belts, most of us would listen. It would be a message that would be better received than if it was coming from the guy that doesn't know how many houses he owns.

Okay, but back to our way of life... This is what I can't stand about American thinking... We see problems, fundamental problems, and we want to fix them without changing our way of life. We want hybrid SUVs and any other solution that maintains our lifestyle, makes us feel good about "doing our part" and doesn't incovenience us one bit. We see the gas prices going down and we decide it's time for a cross-country roadtrip. Or like the lady on the Today Show said this morning, since the economy is in decline, it's a great time to start buying new appliances because you're going to be spending a lot more time at home preparing your own food. Now there's some logic (I wonder whose payroll she's on).

The mere fact that our country's economy is built on credit and not on real cash, means that we can have car lots full of cars waiting to be bought, it means that we can have huge warehouse stores with inventory (purchased on credit, whose manufacturing was done on credit, and most likely the consumer will purchase the goods on credit). It's a giant pyramid scheme that is crashing right now... but we just want the government to fix it. The big businesses just want a bailout. Nobody wants to give up his way of life in order to fundamentally change the economic system.

I'm no economist, but what would it mean if to our way of life, if we were cash only? If credit didn't exist? or if it just existed with very limited terms?

• Would we all live in our own little castles? 4 bedrooms for 2 people? 4000 square feet for a family of 4? Would we have to co-op more and actually live together with extended family?
• Would we have to save up for a car, order it and wait for it to be made?
• Would we have to eat more fruits and vegetables because pre-packaged meals wouldn't be so readily available on the shelves?
• Would there be enough jobs for Dad and Mom to both work?
• Would recycling be optional?
• Would we know our neighbors and have to depend more on each other to barter goods and services vs. just paying someone?
• Would we have to depend on other people to help us get out of a bind vs. pulling out the Visa?
• Would we live more in community and lose some of our independence?
• Would we have to share our warm homes, our water, our food, our hard-earned cash? Would we have to sacrifice for others?
• Would we be inconvenienced?
  

What changes would you be willing to make in order to have more economic stability in your life and in the country...even if it meant adjusting your standard of living?

Let it snow?

In the past, we've thrown away a lot of CDs that contain music that doesn't reflect our values and morals. Of course, we try to be as discerning when we're listening to songs on the radio. I continue to lament the fact that virtually no songs out there reflect married-people love. Someone in the song is always begging the other one to spend the night, or talking about how they just met, etc.

In order to enjoy the Christmas carol, Let it Snow!, I've decided that the couple is married, but separated and living apart. They're in the process of reconciling.

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

It doesn't show signs of stopping,
And I've bought some corn for popping,
The lights are turned way down low,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

When we finally kiss goodnight,
How I'll hate going out in the storm!
But if you'll really hold me tight,
All the way home I'll be warm.

The fire is slowly dying,
And, my dear, we're still good-bying,
But as long as you love me so,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!