“Power to the people” is a common theme all over the world. El Che, the world-famous counterculture symbol, is 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 I 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.
