American Way

I had an enlightening talk with a young man at a wedding reception Saturday night. I was pleasantly surprised to meet a college student who hasn’t seemed to buy into our prevailing view of life. He got his bachelor’s degree from Roanoke College, which included a sabbatical in northern Spain during his sophomore year. He’d like to return, because he appreciated the pace of life there. So, he’s leaving for the Culinary Institute of America for a post-graduate degree, hoping to return to Spain, where dinner with friends is a celebration.

Somehow, we Americans have gotten the impression that our culture, our way of life is the epitome. We’ve taken to gauging our worth by our possessions, by the pace of our days, our rung on the ladder, the balance in our retirement account.

This could very well be sour grapes, on my part, but I really think we should be questioning “The American Way.”