I am not one for proclaiming or supporting any particular candidate. I believe there is a reason why your ballot is kept secret, so why does everyone feel the need to proclaim who they voted for? How come celebrities are endorsing politicians? Why are people updating their Facebook status with "Suzie has donated her Facebook status to getting the vote out for Barack Obama"?
Why can't people just endorse voting in general? Voting was always so underrated when I was in grade school. I don’t understand why it wasn’t as important in the curriculum. I do remember in fifth grade when they did an election simulator and we all got to “vote.” That should have gone on every year – not only for the presidential elections, but for the township and state elections as well. That would have planted the seed in each of our heads that any vote is important.
When I first got here, I posted a little political rant about why the people here could not vote in our presidential election. I still do not understand that. But the thing is – they GET it. They were out there campaigning all over the island, throughout the streets, everywhere – for the local elections. The citizens here are aware that every vote counts. Why aren’t we?
I found this to be the most interesting: for the past week, the radios have been playing Caribbean music… all about Obama. (Note there was not a single mention of John McCain. He never lived on a tropical island.) I believe the words were “Obama, we love you. You will be the first African American President of the United States. Barack Obama, we love you. We hope you don’t come too late.”
The catchy tones of the steel drums and the kitschy lyrics weren’t written to sway any opinions, obviously. These songs (and there are MANY of them) were meant to exude a sort of hope that I think lives throughout the rest of the world. The entire world is counting on this election. (See: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27542176)
Because we now live in a global community (no matter what anyone says – if you work in fashion, manufacturing, or anything of the sort, you will understand that. Those who don't yet will - give it time.) Countries are merely companies at this day in age. We lend each other money, we perform different transactions, and there is plenty of competition. And as much as some people don’t want to admit that, it’s the truth. What any country does affects the rest of the world.
And what the United States does affects the way the rest of our global community looks at us. It’s something you really learn when you go overseas. As Americans, we come across as arrogant, sons-of-bitches that think they’re on top of the world and know everything. We tend to have an “I’m better than you” complex. And quite honestly, as a general whole, we are arrogant assholes.
When it comes down to it, we are no better than anyone else. There are different cultures and different ways of thinking. It’s all relative. I believe that there are people educated enough to know that, though few and far between. I wish people who traveled overseas would try to represent our country in a more positive light.
Don’t get me wrong. I am a proud American. I am so proud that my grandfathers have both served our country. I am so proud that I have friends stationed all over the world representing our country. I am so proud that I am one of the few that when asked the question, “What are you?” I answer “American” instead of my heritage, like so many Americans do. (Plus, it’s so much easier than saying, “I’m Russian, German, English, Welsh, Scottish, Romanian, Ukrainian and German, and probably some other stuff mixed in for fun. Plus I’m half Jewish, half Christian. I grew up in New Jersey, I am a Philadelphia fan, I listen to country music and I live on an island in the Caribbean.” I guess I am a true American – a pile of mush!)
I just wish there wasn’t such a fine line between arrogance and pride. As our country faces a recession and possibly a depression, it’s a kick in the teeth we just might need. We have grown so much so quickly that it has become overwhelming. I like to relate this to my wardrobe – it’s the best way I can.
For the past few years, since I have been a tax-paying citizen with a dispensable income, I have collected a massive amount of “stuff.” This stuff wasn’t necessarily things I needed, or things that I wanted, but just “stuff” to have. I would go through my wardrobe about six times a year, getting rid of bags and bags of “stuff,” just to replace it with more over the next few weeks and then repeat the sequence over and over again.
It could be the change in the economy or the fact that I now live on an island without a Gap or a Starbucks, but I am finally realizing that that “stuff” isn’t important. It doesn’t fill any void when you buy a $24.50 t-shirt from the Gap that you really don’t love.
What is important is style, quality and taste – taken straight from Tim Gunn’s book. Having a small wardrobe that is concentrated and that you love is the key. You might spend more on each individual piece, but you think about it before you buy it. You wear every piece, you love every piece and you appreciate it in the end. And it ends up being a wardrobe – not just a collection of “stuff.” It’s been a European philosophy for ages.
This philosophy can be applied to the status of our economy and country as well. If each individual scaled back instead of scaled down in that same sense, our economy may actually have ended up in a different place than it is now. (Or maybe not. I’m not an economist by any stretch of the imagination.) But maybe if everyone started realizing this philosophy, we wouldn’t be portrayed as these greedy, arrogant Americans to the rest of our global community.
We’re now on different time than mainland ET; the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico do not participate in daylight saving time. That means it is about eleven o’clock here, versus your ten o’clock. At this point, Obama has 207 electoral votes versus McCain’s 135. It’s almost time for bed, and I guess I will find out the results in the morning. As much as I would love to stay up, some of this political crap is mind-numbingly boring.
I hope you all voted, no matter who you voted for.
Me and all my friends
We're all misunderstood
They say we stand for nothing
There's no way we ever could
Now we see everything is going wrong
With the world and those who lead it
We just feel like we don't have the means
To rise above and beat it
Now if we had the power
To bring our neighbors home from war
They would've never missed a Christmas
No more ribbons on the door
When you trust your television
What you get is what you got
Cause when they own the information,
They can bend it all they want
So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change
It’s hard to be persistent
When we're standing at a distance
So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change
You know you love me,
XOXO
- Island Girl
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