My image of America
In case you’ve been living under a rock, America has been in the news quite a lot these past couple of days. Because of Trump and his band of violent idiots, America’s image is at an all-time low. This post is not about all that, but how my image of America was formed as a young girl living in a third world country.
I have never met an actual American, so all my perceptions of the ‘land of the free’ were formed by American movies and series. I can only assume that most of these perceptions are wrong, so please don’t eat me alive in the comments.
The weirdest one
As a child, I thought that America was a very liberal country. This was because of a silly reason. Oh gosh, this is embarrassing.
So, what you call a ‘drug store’ in America, we call a ‘pharmacy’ in South Africa. (Don’t beat me to the funny part.)
Also, when we talk about drugs here, most people would think about things like cocaine, heroin, LSD, etc, and not things like Ibuprofen.
Basically, I thought Americans can buy hardcore drugs at stores, and this was a common and accepted practice.
The abundance
The absolute abundance of America (as portrayed on TV) is just shocking.
If you just watch how people go at it on Black Friday (when it’s on the news) it seems like money is not a problem for Americans.
According to the movies, all Americans have infinite disposable income to spend on overseas trips (like going on a tour through Europe after high school or in college) or to go to Disneyland.
Also, apparently, Americans have enormous houses with attics and basements. I have never met anyone in South Africa with an attic or a basement.
Things about America that I don’t understand
You don’t have any state-funded public hospitals. Even in South Africa, we have state hospitals where you can get free or affordable healthcare.
I’ll admit, our state hospitals aren’t great. Like seriously, you could die if you have a serious condition while waiting for someone to tend to you, but at least the option of a state hospital is there for you.
You have weird rugby (so-called American Football, but you don’t really kick the ball, you just run around with it, so I don’t get the ‘foot’ in Football).
What is this obsession with Starbucks, and what is pumpkin spice? Pumpkin spice sounds like the worst thing to mix with coffee. Those are not compatible flavours.
Also, what the hell is eggnog?
Why does seemingly everyone have a gun there?
What is up with daylight savings?
I have so many questions.
To America
To my American readers, what is the one common misperception about America that grinds your gears? Please let me know in the comments.
Meh.
Michelle
P.S. If you’d like to contact me, feel free to comment below, send an email to thatmichelleperson@gmail.com, or follow me on Twitter @M_ClutterBox.
Amna
This post was kind of funny and random! Also grew up in a non-western country and was confused about quite a few things in here! Pumpkin spice lattes are good though, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! Hopefully you’ll get to visit one day and understand some of the things you don’t haha. I still get annoyed with “drug store” it’s just a weird way to name a pharmacy!
That Michelle Person
I’d love to go to the States one day and experience the weirdness for myself 🙂
Thanks for reading!
Erin Westphal
Thank you for your insight. Americans have a very bad habit of not seeing beyond our borders to the bigger world. I’ve always known about our abundance (though like in the 1920s, it’s due to putting a lot on credit), but your impressions are interesting.
I think the one thing that sort of annoys me is that we are the United States of America—fifty separate states with their own constitutions and governments, all doing things a little differently. These states are diverse, so it does work. A lot of things, like healthcare, fall into the states and local governments, who probably can do a better job than our federal behemoth. We’re just too diverse for a “one size fits all” approach.
Thanks again!
That Michelle Person
Thank you so much for reading and commenting 🙂 Which state do you live in?
Jenny Pink
I don’t understand the obsession with Starbucks and pumpkin spice either, not that great tbh…
IT Cosmetics vs bareMinerals
That Michelle Person
Good to know that it doesn’t live up to the hype 🙂
Thanks for reading!
TheQuietGirl (Anissa)
America has always confused me, I live in Jamaica and watching the news last week, I felt like I was watching a movie lol. The football thing never made sense to me and the passion they have it can be a little scary lol. Great post 😊!
That Michelle Person
I know! Their ways are so mysterious 🙂
Thanks for reading!
Lynn Mejia
This was a funny read! Canadian here and I actually go to the states often because of the family I have there. I’m with ya on the Black Friday craziness and how overall rude and aggressive people can get on that day. I have to say I have never once felt fully safe in America and it’s really sad. I have really great American friends/family/followers but if I didn’t have family there, I wouldn’t travel there often or at all! x
http://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
That Michelle Person
As someone who doesn’t feel safe in South Africa, I wonder how I will feel in America. Guess I’ll have to go there some day.
Thanks for reading 🙂
Joey
As an American who grew up in the Midwest:
I too was perplexed by the name “football”.
I too was surprised by “pumpkin spice” which I saw the first time as an adult in Starbucks. I have never tried it.
Why did all my friends get to go to Disneyland as a kid and I didn’t?
I too was perplexed as a child that heroin and aspirin were both drugs.
What does that mean anyway, lose an hour? I’ll never get it back? Am I older or younger? What do you mean it isn’t the same time in Africa?
That Michelle Person
We don’t have daylight savings in South Africa. We just deal with the sun coming up later 🙂
Thanks for reading!
Deandra
Honestly, I’m with you on the Pumpkin spice lol. I will never understand the obsession. We call it a drug store and pharmacy, but I guess it depends on which state you’re from that depends on which is used the most. I use both of them. It doesn’t necessarily bother me because of how America is shown, but I hate the perception of how free America is. It’s only that free to the majority.
That Michelle Person
It’s sad that it’s called the land of the free when so many people don’t feel free at all.
Thanks for reading!
Naomi
I live in Australia and we have daylight savings too.. I loved it as a kid growing up. You could stay outside and play until 9pm before your parents remembered it was bedtime 🙂
I have travelled to the US and I really loved it. I found everyone so lovely, I am fairly quiet so the fact that they are so extroverted was nice because everyone was really friendly. I did notice that a lot of Americans only know America and are quite uneducated about other countries.
I find it really sad what is happening there at the moment and I hope they can pull through.
That Michelle Person
I’d love to go to America and experience it for myself one day. Daylight savings still sounds weird to me 🙂
Thanks for reading!
Molly @ Transatlantic Notes
I moved to the USA just over 7 years ago from the UK and it has been a wake-up call (which I kind of write about on my blog Transatlantic Notes). The biggest misconception I think Americans have about their country and people watching around the world is that it’s some kind of post-racial society (the Capitol riots, Trump and police brutality proved this). Racism is baked into society and all its structures here and that is a deeply sad statement. There are amazing people here that are kind, compassionate, giving and loving but there is much work to do!
That Michelle Person
It’s so sad that the country is so divided – unfortunately, it seems like it’s what politicians count on to win.
Thanks for reading 🙂
Britt K
This was funny to read. I don’t think we often step back and consider how our countries and cultures are viewed by those in other places of the world. As a Canadian, I don’t understand the obsession with guns that underlies so much of the American culture either – and we’re right over the border! I have never considered the need to have a handgun in my house for protection or anything. That’s just not normal here.
That Michelle Person
Same here! You need to go through so many forms and tests before you’re allowed to have a gun (legally) in South Africa, most people don’t even bother.
Thanks for reading!
Bill
You’ve got me thinking on this one. It’s giving me an idea … .
That Michelle Person
Now I’m very curious what idea I gave you 🙂
Thanks for reading!
Bill
It has to deal with perspective and where you get it from. (Let’s just say that your impressions of America are more than a lot of Americans probably have of South Africa.)
That Michelle Person
Ah, I see. I’m looking forward to reading your post 🙂
Bill
I’m working on it, but as is so often the case, the issue is bringing it in for a landing. 🙂
That Michelle Person
I can totally relate 🙂
Bill
Here it is. I hope I didn’t mangle your post too badly. 🙂
https://billswritingplace.wordpress.com/2021/01/15/we-hardly-ever-get-the-full-story/
That Michelle Person
I loved it 🙂
Bill
Good … thanks!
Sharila
Haha it’s definitely funny to read an outside perspective of America. I think a common misconception is that all Americans have money. There are a lot of people who struggle to eat and find a place to sleep. Many of the people you see fighting over TVs on Black Friday are likely using a credit card to buy the electronics and can’t really afford them. Our salaries are low compared to the cost of things like rent, health care, food & just daily living.
That Michelle Person
It’s sad to hear that. I hope things get better when Covid is a thing of the past.
Thanks for reading! 🙂
Lisa
Such a fun post – I know what you mean about the guns though, that’s something I just cannot get my head around. The right to bear arms – OK but why? 🙂
That Michelle Person
I know! Why would you want people to carry something around that can instantly kill another person?
Anyway, thanks for reading! 🙂
Erica Joann McKinney
A misconception about America is that we are the land of the free. From the beginning of colonization after stealing land away from Native Americans… America has not been a place of freedom. Some have more rights and privileges than others. However, we are all far from equal. It’s really sad that we see, hear, and experience so many injustices here in America. And it’s more devastating to know that some people refuse to acknowledge it as a problem. Which is something we are currently facing now within leadership.
xo Erica
That Michelle Person
It’s really sad to see what’s happening (and been happening) in America. I hope one day you will get a competent leader to address this issue.
Thanks for reading 🙂
Greg Scott
The USA may be the most diverse country in the world. I live in Minnesota, where the ground is covered with snow in January. But Florida and other southern states still have green grass this time of year.
I don’t own a gun and never heard of pumpkin spice until reading about it here. The right to bear arms is from history. If people own weapons, then it’s difficult for a tyrant to take our rights away. Sometimes we carry gun ownership too far.
We have not been at our best the past four years. Hopefully we get better, starting in 2021.
And finally, a plug you and your readers might enjoy – and this is about as American (in a good way) that it gets. I help a group named Fishing For Life run an annual event here in Minnesota called Holes 4 Heroes. It’s an ice-fishing tournament and raises money to help US military families. This year COVID is forcing us to be on about 20 lakes around Minnesota instead of just one lake. And so we’ll push the technology envelope with this year’s live stream. That’s my part; making the technology work from on top of a frozen lake.
The event runs Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021, from noon – 4:30 PM US Central time, GMT-6 until daylight savings time kicks in. Which, I agree, doesn’t make any sense,. Anyway, make adjustments for your local timezone. And I’ll probably run sneak-peak insider setup scenes the Friday before and Saturday morning while everyone is setting up. Here is a link:
https://www.dgregscott.com/fishing-life/
I also have highlights from earlier years on my website linked above. Hopefully my link doesn’t tie this comment up in moderation forever. Enjoy.
– Greg
That Michelle Person
Thanks for reading and commenting. You do great work! I hope the technology plays along during your event 🙂