“Power to the people” is a common theme all over the world. El Che, the world-famous counterculture symbol, advertised on the back of a road sign in Argentina.
Question for the reader?
If you were born in a foreign country how would you be different?
I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, Planet Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy, the Known Universe, and have called various places home, including: Washington DC, San Francisco, England, Mexico, Guatemala and Australia. Additionally, I’ve stayed the night in over 1000 cities in 57 countries. I’ve been called, and like to think of myself, as a citizen of the world.
Often another litmus test for friendship is being from the same place and having similar views, such as political beliefs. So, this question is often a subtle way of asking: Are you an us or a them? or: Are you for or against the war? I like to think of myself as apolitical, meaning the Switzerland of people. I try to remain neutral, keeping my mind and options open. I vote for the issue, not the person or the label; and I vote with my dollar, opinion and companionship. But since America was at war during my travels, I often had to defend my country; and, people would often try to anger me to help prove their point, but I was always proud to remind myself that many citizens of different nations called me: “The Bicycling Ambassador.” So, I felt like I was on a diplomatic mission to teach people that not all Americans were the same, that our country like every country, has its pros and cons, and most importantly: that the people in America—and in every country whether they realize it or not—are the government.
