Perspective

Perspective: the state of one's ideas, the facts known to one, etc., in having a meaningful interrelationship (Dictionary.Com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/perspective February 10, 2010, 8:33pm)

I love my country but I have to admit that we as a people are not the most observant group that ever did exist. There's nothing wrong with being concerned with what's going on in your immediate vicinity but it makes us ignorant to what is going on in other parts of the world. I got a really interesting reminder of that impression that we Americans make on other countries.

So I was talking to a friend of mine in India and some how we got into this conversation about movies and how they portray life in the settings these movies take place in. His thing was that life here must be pretty good, everyone can afford cars and homes, etc. That's not too far from the truth but me being me I had to stop him. Not everyone can afford a car. My own car was gifted to me, if it hadn't been then I would have no car. Just maintaining it is expensive. Not everyone can afford a house. That much is clear from the housing crisis that has contributed to the downfall of the American economy. There is an illusion that we can afford these things.

So why are these movies portraying American life this way when we all know that it isn't the reality? Well my personal theory is that we don't want to face the actual problems. I live in a part of Chicago where it is pretty evident that people don't live so well. I've seen prostitution and homelessness. I've been approached for money by peddlers. I watch drug deals go down on a daily basis. What I don't want to do is go to a movie and spend $8.75 to see these things on screen. I can see them for free.

The easiest and most dangerous way to deal with a problem is to pretend it doesn't exist. But what impression does that give to our fellow man outside of the US? That we are excessive, ignorant, spoiled...and that they too can come here and join our excess. At the same time we are lying to ourselves. We pretend that homelessness is a result of someone not doing their share of work. We say to ourselves that they deserve it. That they could do better if they really wanted to so they must not want to. Maybe sometimes this is the case, but sometimes it isn't.

It's a circle. It is endless. It leads to my pet peeve. The thing I can't stand the most is when a natural disaster happens in another country. Lord help us, it brings out the most arrogant attitudes of Americans. But it goes beyond the immediate superman mentality that we develop, that of "We have to help these poor people!" No, no, then we seep into the false humility. The "we must be grateful for what we have because we could have nothing". I mentioned how upset I was about something and a person I know brought up Haiti and how I shouldn't be so upset because I live in the US and we have so much here, more than we should. Isn't that true? Shouldn't I rethink my sadness? I say it is a pet peeve because it is comparing problems. I dislike when people do that because problems are problems no matter what country it's in. Should the woman who lives in the US that is 9 months pregnant and homeless be happy because after all she lives in the US. Should the people in Haiti who lost everything be happy because at least they aren't in the Sudan or Darfur being raped and murdered. All these situations are sad and all these problems are real. These people are looking at their problems from their own perspective, the perspective of the country they live in...as they should be.

Because I am annoyed by these types of issues I try and keep an open mind. I try and learn from different people so I can learn their perspective on how I live. It's not because I have an urge to show off but rather because I don't want to be ignorant to what is going on around me.