I was driving with a friend, and a car with a “proud to be an American” bumper sticker passed us. That sparked a conversation about what it means to be proud to be something that you didn’t choose. It’s one thing to be proud OF America, or happy to be American, but to be proud to be American is like being proud of being brunette. Or right-handed, or gay. Not that it’s wrong to be proud of those things, it’s just that those are things that you don’t control.
It makes more sense to be proud of things that you accomplished, like finishing a project, seeing your child achieve something knowing you raised that child, or gaining American citizenship if you were born in a foreign country. (Which we theorized the woman driving the truck was not.) I got to thinking why I feel proud of America, and I realized it’s because we have trust.
Sunday, I went to Riverbank State Park in Manhattan to swim. They have a 50-meter pool (aka “Olympic size” or “long course”), and I’m training for a long course race at the end of the month. I parked my car here, on the part of Riverside Drive that’s a bridge above Fairway and 125th St.:
The red Saturn (RIP, fantastic car company) is parked two cars behind the white van on the left. You can also see Grant's tomb, thanks to my low-res cell phone camera!
In order to leave one’s car here on a Sunday morning, one must have a lot of trust. Trust that no one’s going to break into it, and if they do, trust that the police will help you. And above that, you have to trust that your car insurance will cover the damage. That’s the obvious stuff.
Beyond that, you have to trust that the police aren’t crooked, and will issue a ticket or tow your car just to get revenue, like they might do in countries where corruption runs wild.
And then there’s the whole issue of trusting the bridge itself. That part of the street is about five stories high, and holds a lot of parked cars. You don’t even have to think about it, but parking there means you trust the people who built the bridge, the people who inspect it, and the people who maintain it, and the system that regulates those kind of things. It’s one reason the collapse of the bridge in Minnesota a few years back was so devastating. That kind of thing just doesn’t happen in America, and it inhibits our freedom when we start to worry about basic things like the solidity of the ground beneath us.
It’s also why the collapse of our economy and GM and Social Security and all this is so hard. Americans are happy and proud because we are inherently trustful. Sure, I had some fleeting thoughts of the possibility of my car being broken into, but I determined that the risk wasn’t enough to inhibit my freedom to go where I wanted. My trust in the system made me free to persue happiness.
I have faith that our economy will find a way to recover, although I think it’s going to take a long time, and nothing will be the same as it used to. And by that, I mean that I worry people will go from having a healthy skeptisim of things that are too good to be true to being mistrustful of almost any deal that comes their way. So that’s why when the other day a client told me that she found me to be trustworthy and wanted to refer me to others, it was one of the best compliments I coud have gotten. It made me proud to be a financial advisor.
And that’s the stuff that goes through my head when I commute two hours a day. Does that make any sense?
Posted by kir on June 2, 2009 at 4:42 pm
well said.
Posted by Knot on June 2, 2009 at 6:22 pm
“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers – and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce – and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution – and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.” – Alexis de Tocqueville ( believed to be a fraud … but whatever )
I have no faith in economies. America is usually at it’s best when the economy is worst … e.g. the Great Depression. I have no doubt markets will stabilize. Our country is better when we act in our own LEAST interest. That’s right, we act in the interest of others.
Posted by stefanie on June 2, 2009 at 10:20 pm
It does indeed make sense. It was also a lot headier and more thoughtful than anyplace I *thought* you might be going at the outset of that post. Full of surprises you are, Noelle.
I think about the 35W bridge collapse every time I drive over the new bridge (which I just did about an hour ago). Strangely, I think not about how it (or another bridge) might collapse, but about how very, very grateful I am to finally have that bridge BACK. (‘Twas a MAJOR pain getting around without it, I tell you.) Anyway, I suppose that’s trust. Or a “how soon we forget” mindset. I’m gonna go with trust.
This comment is already stupidly long, but I also have to say I have thought the SAME THING about those “Proud to be an American” stickers. I’ve also thought the same thing whenever someone says they are proud of someone or something they had nothing to do with. You can be proud of your child, sure. You MADE your child. But proud of your boyfriend or girlfriend? That’s never made sense to me.
I’ll stop rambling now. Thank you.
Posted by gregorymeyer on June 3, 2009 at 9:50 am
Your blog posts have been missed.
What you say here is often taken for granted. Does what you say make sense? Yes, ma’am.
One caveat: The bumper sticker owner is currently choosing to be an American. He/she could choose otherwise.
Posted by Allie on June 3, 2009 at 9:54 am
This is such an awesome post. I never thought of it that way. It really is amazing the things we take for granted.
Posted by courtney on June 3, 2009 at 10:39 am
Well said. Many people would say we take things for granted, like the stability of bridges or the general honesty of our police force, but you say we trust in those things, and I like that better.
Posted by mickey on June 3, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Sure it does. And gosh you covered a lot of ground in this post. Regularly inspected, tax-payer-supported, well-engineered ground.
Posted by Anika on June 3, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Yes, it makes perfect sense! Awesome post. Very well said.
Posted by rdl on June 3, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Makes perfect sense! Great post!
Posted by lizgwiz on June 5, 2009 at 9:55 am
Good post.
A gay friend of mine was just commenting on that very thing–that he sometimes doesn’t get the whole “gay pride” thing. “Why should I have to feel PRIDE over something I didn’t choose to be? Why can’t I just BE gay?” Of course, we realize that the “gay pride” movement came about as a way to encourage gays NOT to feel ASHAMED, but still…
Posted by The Modern Gal on June 9, 2009 at 10:09 am
I am proud to be one of your readers.
Posted by cadiz12 on June 11, 2009 at 9:44 pm
in this day and age, it IS a huge compliment for someone to say they trust you. great job!