2016 was a tough year, and 2017 isn’t shaping up to be much better. Reading the news leaves me in a fit of rage or a pit of despair, and it is exhausting. I’m not the only one who feels this way. Former President George W. Bush said it best:
“We have seen our discourse degraded by casual cruelty. At times, it can seem like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together. Argument turns too easily into animosity. Disagreement escalates into dehumanization. Too often, we judge other groups by their worst examples while judging ourselves by our best intentions…”
If you would have told me even a year ago that I would be quoting GW I would have laughed, but – credit where it’s due.
I’ve long rejected that “politics” is it’s own topic – it permeates everything we do and the way we live our lives. What’s different how we communicate. The Internet and social media present a lot of people with topics that make them uncomfortable and ask that they change their mind. While some citizens of the Internet embrace change, others run away (this applies to everyone – left and right, btw).
Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about what “real Americans” are like. After a quick scoff and an eyeroll, I thought: “Wait… what is American?”
When I want to learn about a new culture, I often start with eating their food. Why not do the same with the US? (Bear with me here!)
Why is apple pie the All-American dessert (and is it really)? Why don’t other countries enjoy peanut butter & jelly sandwiches the way we do? What is the driving force behind some of the country’s regional favorites? I want to find out!
Let’s break these dishes down to the components, and talk to the people involved along the way. What foods are quintessentially “American” to you? What do you want to learn more about?
Photo by Miesha Moriniere from Pexels