โyou should try reading books that actually challenge your mind.โ
good grief, Susan. have you seen the state of the world lately? let me enjoy my romance nonsense in peace.
There's a saying on American social media:
"Be the American that Japanese people think you are."
I'm Japanese. I've lived in Tokyo my whole life.
So let me tell you what we actually say about you, when you're not in the room.
"When someone falls down on the street, we pretend not to see. We're protecting their pride. Americans run straight at them. They don't care about the pride. They care about the knee." (Office worker, 38)
"An American will stop four lanes of traffic for a family of ducks. And then everyone in the cars claps for the ducks." (Taxi driver, 61)
"If you lend an American a pen, you will never see it again. If you need a kidney, they'll ask your blood type." (Nurse, 45)
"At kids' soccer games, they cheer when the other team's kid scores. The other team's parents look confused. Then they cheer too." (Youth soccer coach, 52, lived one year in Ohio)
"A man sneezed on a bus in Chicago. Eleven strangers said 'Bless you.' He said 'thank you' eleven times. Nobody on that bus thought this was strange." (University student, 21)
"At an airport in Texas, I watched a soldier try to pay for his lunch. The cashier said someone already had. He asked who. She said, 'Somebody who didn't want you to know.'" (Retired teacher, 70)
"American fathers cannot braid hair. But they will watch a video at midnight for an hour so their daughter's hair looks right on picture day." (Hair stylist, 33)
"I ran the Chicago Marathon once. Strangers stood in the cold for hours holding signs for people they will never meet. At mile 20, a man I'd never seen read the name off my bib and screamed it like he'd raised me." (Runner, 48)
"When Americans get lost, they ask a stranger. If the stranger is also lost, they become a team." (Tour guide, 39)
"They ask the waitress her name. And then they remember it." (Restaurant owner, 66)
And one more. From my father. He's 76. He doesn't say much about anything. This is the longest thing I have ever heard him say about another country.
"Every time something terrible happens in America, I watch the news, and I look for one thing.
The people running toward it.
There are always so many."
So, America.
You don't have to become the Americans we think you are.
We're not imagining you.
We're remembering you.
@sweetseaslug I've seen this take a few times. I had a discussion with someone who called Archaeology "racist." I had to explain that Archaeology is important because learning from the past is the only way we won't repeat the same mistakes. ๐ซ
@Sobricuate@spideryuuji_ And that's fucking insane to me because I DEFINITELY don't see those kinds of independents around me... I see socially liberal, economically conservative most often.
@modelbrina@spideryuuji_ What's so frustrating about this is the fact that I feel most Americans truly lie somewhere in the center, but because the two party system is so strong, a lot of people will toss away some of their beliefs just because the other party is a "lesser evil."
@spideryuuji_ I identify as a Libertarian, and it's wildly frustrating that our country is still so reliant on a two party system. I truly believe most Americans lie somewhere in the middle with their beliefs, but independent parties have no traction.
๐จBREAKING UPDATE: Texas tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife, their two young children, and several others have been identified in reports as victims of Sundayโs devastating Learjet 60 crash in Palm Beach County, Florida.๐จ
Robinson, 44, was an Austin-based entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of several successful technology companies, including Retention .com, RB2B, and MoltSets. He was reportedly traveling with his wife, Helen Sharp, 40, their two young children, the familyโs nanny, and two close friends when the aircraft went down. All nine people aboard were killed.
Robinson grew up near Houston, graduated from Rice University, and spent approximately a decade working on Wall Street, including at Lehman Brothers and Barclays Capital, before transitioning into entrepreneurship.
He went on to build multiple successful companies, including Retention .com, a marketing technology company reportedly generating more than $20 million in annual recurring revenue. He was known for building highly profitable businesses with small teams and without relying heavily on outside investors.
His wife, Helen, was also an entrepreneur and ceramic artist who operated Helen Sharp Ceramics.
The family was traveling aboard the 2004 Learjet 60,
bound for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
During the flight, the crew reported icing, turbulence, and precipitation before requesting clearance to climb to a higher altitude. Shortly afterward, the aircraft began descending at an alarming rate, with the crew reporting a descent of approximately 20,000 feet per minute.
The two pilots have also been identified in reports as Captain Jeff Gregory, 55, and co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, just 20 years old.
Please keep their families and friends in your prayers.