brb etching “the opposite of man is not woman, it’s boy” onto a granite slab so it can be witnessed in perpetuity
Paraphrasing a comment I read elsewhere: Americans needed this. Things… haven't been going well for us lately so seeing tourists connect, genuinely and joyfully, with our culture has been uplifting.
“Scots discovering tailgating” could be a real Prometheus stealing fire moment
Tony Bourdain taught us all that a place is full of good food, good people, and good experiences despite very shitty politics and I think it’s kind of classically American to have thought we were excluded from that Venn diagram
At the Reflecting Pool, and guys, this doesn’t look right
(Not to overly prove the "self-dimishing and maladaptively perfectionist" diagnosis but this is the most positive interpretation of American culture. Far too often we react with anger and hatred out of a belief that everyone hates us, which ironically reinforces legitimate reasons to hate us)
There was never anything undeserving or small about Lawrence, KS but look at how that community has thrown itself into the Algerian national team. The community's embrace illustrates how, culturally, we learned that in being hospitable to guests we can live vicariously through others joy in us.
It's not incorrect that at our worst Americans are arrogant, but I think a portion of our arrogance is a result of an extremely self-diminishing and maladaptively perfectionist culture. Mix in some lingering Puritanism and you have a people that struggle to feel and express joy appropriately.
Last image from tonight (short film in the morning): this brother out here with his Singer sewing machine, gifting people a custom embroidery on their jerseys and hats with the name and the date, was more artistic than anything at Burning Man and ad gorgeous as a Caravaggio.
Magic!
Goodnight.
Ohhh look at me I'm New York City. I have an awesome basketball team with likeable players and a mayor that cares about making life better for every citizen man fuck you