[Marsha]
> Of course I am a product of this american culture.
> As much as anybody else. But there is some
distance. A
> distance that I think
> is important. Maybe this is what SA is trying to
> uncover. Also, a
> young woman, who I care very much about, is going
> through a divorce. It's a very difficult place of
crossroads.
> Somehow I would
> like to encourage the road less traveled. So when I
> stated that 'I don't pay much attention to the U.S.
culture. I
> don't think it has
> much to offer.' I meant I am no longer dazzled by
> the most obvious
> shiny enticements offered by this glitzy U.S. Now.
> There is a Nietzsche quote that comes to mind:
> "The individual has always had to struggle to keep
> from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it,
you will be
> lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price
is too high
> to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."
-Nietzsche
> I read 'tribe' as 'U.S. culture'. So yes I am a
> product of the U.S., Michigan born and bred, but
there is also a little
> distance that I cherish. It is such individual
little distances
> that I think are good for the Social Level.
Yes. Notice how much custom is involved in our
daily lives. This is a highly ritualistic culture,
the U.S. Everything is generalized and made common.
Anymore, going through a town, and I mean the old
towns where different shops stand next to each other,
small businesses with local exclamations are not the
norm. These bring a flavor of the local. But, even
these shops, let's step back for a moment, these local
town shops are all businesses. We find a place to
park the car. In small towns you can walk at the
crosswalks, but get away with jaywalking and that can
seem so daring and rebellious. Then you walk to the
store in my mind. On the way we 'window shop', which
is looking in the windows of the different shops to
see the local offerings. Then you see a passer-byer
walking on the sidewalk near you, and you keep on
walking, but if the streets are not very busy we say
hello or acknowledge the person. This is all very
culturally normal. Then walk into one of the shops
and the owner may say hello, it depends on how small
town the shop is. You say hello and go looking
around. We call it browsing. Then you find
something, go to the cashier, pay the $, and everybody
smiles and says thank you, and on our way we go.
These are all ritualistic practices. Yes, they are
nice and honest, but very common practices. These are
the social norms. It is societies rules. I'm not
saying break these rules. I'm saying we pass up many
people and go to these 'ready-made' shops and streets
were habits rule. We can hide in these habits and
come out when we want to, but why come out and go
beyond or do differently than these rules. There is
no opening to dash out from behind these habits that
hide us. You can at times, but it might be weird, the
comedian still gets some laughs, I'm talking about all
the informal behaviors. When do you see them? How
often? With who?
woods,
SA
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