I am reminded of this story because now that I am actually in the US, I've seen neighborhoods where I thought: "How typical American". But why is it so typical? And why do I instantly feel something odd looking at that picture in the magazine, when it's only the pavement that's a little different. I believe that the way our environments are designed and planned heavily influence our perception of a city or neighborhood. The houses and buildings, and how they're designed, tells something about the people living there. We're so used to the streets we walk on, the roads we drive through, that it's only when abroad that we are confronted with the differences. And, not in the least, the effects those differences have on us.
I came to the US expecting to find out more about the coming elections. About people's perception of it and the way they feel about American politics in general. What I've come to find is that —as could be expected I guess — politics is only a part of a culture that slowly I begin to understand more of. I'm still struck by odd things like canned spaghetti bolognese and supersized sodas. But those are the extremes of a country that is so very diverse. In heritage, in political views, in clothing, thinking, anything really. "There is no such thing as the average American", Ken, a libertarian and independent voter, told us the other day.
But those extremes, especially when it comes to eating, seem odd to a lot of Americans as well. Mike, the manager of a shoe store in Nashville told us that he just doesn't get it. Why would you want to poison your body by going to McDonalds for breakfast, lunch and dinner and then sit behind your desk for the rest of the day. "And the worst part of it, is that we have to pay for it. Even though I go running every other day to keep fit." It seems though that the way this country deals with food is formed by a certain structure. Just like the large distances and poor public transport encourage car use, the idea that more food is better is the base of a structure that encourages bad eating habits. It's the free refills, the "don't you want the extra chips and cheese dipping for only 80c more?". It's part of a genuine tendency to give and share, but it's killing at the same time. Literally, if you look at the amount of obesity in this country.
It is all part of a larger culture that, as a whole I must admit, I have fallen in love with. But the example of the suburb I mentioned earlier is not randomly chosen. I feel that the physical manifestation of this culture can be found in public spaces. It is on the one hand the large sidewalks that encourage encounters with strangers, and on the other hand it's the largeness of the whole city plan that forces car use. Thus you will find large empty planes of concrete around every other corner filled with cars and desolate of any other form of life. And you will find that anyone who can touch the steering wheel and the gas pedal at the same time owns a car. It's the green spaces, the parks, the trees, the front yards, the back yards, that are everywhere, and at the same time you are overwhelmed by the amount of concrete, steel and neon.
There is an election coming up, but I'm no longer sure what to think about that. How can such a diverse country be represented by one person? I do know that there seems to be a relentless amount of energy among the people here. Whomever is elected, most of the people probably don't really care. And maybe they're right. Maybe it is true that, like we've been told, without a long history this country still needs to figure itself out if that's even possible. But where the cities are easy to navigate because of the grid-like structure, the thoughts, minds and differences of all its citizens are definitely not as easy to navigate. We'll keep looking for a moral compass.
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