Amyrica

There was a little old Jewish lady who lived down the hall and was kind to me as a child.

We went to Canada often to visit relatives. We’d stop for Chinese near the border. Canadian Chinese is a favorite.

I have a great friend who is black, gay, and looks exactly like Kermit the frog.

Food I’ve had in the North End of Boston is better than most I’ve had in Italy.

A close family friend from Germany became a nationalized citizen yesterday.

A colleague brought Mooncakes to work for the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

My son has a Mormon friend at his Jesuit school.

A neighbor was born in China, raised in Germany, and now speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, German and English.

Our parish priest is damn near a scratch golfer.

My mother loves all things Irish. And the Queen.

Chicago’s Greek Town can do magical things to a lamb. PETA forgive me.

I have Jewish friends who like Ham&Cheese, oyster shooters, and weed, not necessarily in that order.

Our President is black. A leading candidate to replace him is a geriatric socialist Jew from Vermont.

I like it here. This is America. In some places, particularly Europe, the people are a part of the soil almost like crops. Here, other than the Natives, we’re all foreigners. The land isn’t sacred. It’s just what we stand on. We’re all interlopers. What being “American” is changes with the generations, if not the seasons. There is no constant. It’s always changing shape, color, and tone. If you don’t like it, wait a minute until it changes.

The idea that there’s a white Christian America is bunk. It’s a melting pot. It’s the whole world put in a blender and served straight up. Grasping to what never was is the new definition of insanity. Folks have been passing through the turnstiles from the beginning and that won’t stop.

And that’s what’s so cool. There aren’t two parties. There’s a million going on at once. Check one out. Loosen up a little.