Hey USA!
Everybody is watching you…
…whether you like it or not.
If I’ve noticed anything over the past two months of being overseas (in addition to my previous travels to other countries) it’s been that the world in a lot of ways is watching and following after America.
Our music. Our fashion. Our humor. Our film. Our technology. Our attitude. Our actions.
Much of it is imitated all throughout the world.
When we travel to other countries, we are immediately noticed by all. All eyes are on us. We are seen as people coming from the land of plenty, the land of opportunity, the land of progress. Many people strongly desire to be a part of that, so when we step into other cultures, we are watched closely.
I noticed this a lot in El Salvador, especially when we would go out to the park to hang out and pray for people. Random people would continually walk up to us asking a thousand questions about where we were from and why we decided to leave our country in order to come to theirs. Many would speak with us out of the desire to practice their English, many to reminisce about the days they once lived in the States, and many to dream further about a day that they might be able to fly there themselves.
I also noticed this a lot a few years ago when I spent the summer in Indonesia. A large majority of the people I met in that beautiful country would talk to me about how their biggest dream is to one day move to the States, or at least to go there for a time. I never understood this because their land and their people are so wonderful, but… it’s the way they felt nonetheless.
I notice this a lot here in Guatemala as well, but it might quite possibly be because not a lot of people from the States come to the remote area we’re dwelling in. However, even in the next largest town, Coban, we stick out like sand in a sandwich at the beach. People notice us. People watch our every move.
I’m not sure how I feel about this.
Now don’t get me wrong. In saying all of this I’m not trying to sound cocky and am definitely not trying to say that the States is better than any other country. God knows those are the two last thoughts in my mind. I’m also not trying to say that people in other countries have no hope in their own land, nor am I trying to say that they don’t enjoy their own people and culture. I’m simply trying to make a point – that the United States has a major influence all across the world, and we need to watch ourselves.
Mostly, I’m wanting to call out my fellow USA-ians (yesh, I’m totally making up words right now).
My heart is torn between joy and sorrow when I think of American influence across the world.
I love the culture I come from in the States. It makes me happy. I miss it like crazy. I watch Modern Family often in order to be reminded of it. I love our sense of humor. I love our freedom. I love our music. I love our progress. I love our cities. I love our fashion. I love our passion.
However, sometimes I think we take these things too far. We take part in a lot of things that I’m not proud of. We do a lot of things that give us a poor reputation, in my mind, all across the world. I don’t want to be seen as an easy-to-get woman from the States who parties all day and all night, has a ton of money, looks perfect all the time, and lives in a huge, beautiful home. I don’t want to be seen as an individual who believes that drugs and violence are okay. I don’t want to be seen as superior to others. I don’t want other cultures to look at us and think its okay for women to wear little to no clothing. I don’t want them to think we talk trash all the time. I don’t want to be viewed without respect. However, this is how our media often represents the States. This is how WE often choose to represent ourselves.
In noticing this, I have been extra-challenged to watch how I represent myself as I travel the world. For many reasons: because I represent myself as an individual, I represent my country that is so closely watched, and most importantly, because I represent God and what it looks like to truly follow Him. However, at the moment I simply want to focus on that second reason.
I’m not quite sure what else to say, except for the fact that I want to challenge my fellow Americans to watch yourselves as well, even if you remain in the States for the rest of your life. People from other countries are watching you – through movies, music, television, news, and the internet. Foreigners are daily flowing into the States, seeing how we live and calling back home about it. People are watching. Do yourself and your neighbor a solid and represent yourself well!
Be cautious.
Be honorable.
Be respectful.
Be kind.
Be loving.
Be something that others can look up to.
Be a good representation of the United States.
Be free!
