Oregon doesn’t have much of a visible military presence. Still, this is an awesome idea and I’m going to remember to say thank you when I can…

The Gratitude Campaign

And hey, Lyse and Larry and the other vets I love — thank you. *hug*

Between illness and exhaustion and migraines galore, I’ve not been up to posting lately. But I did want to take note of a blog entry that I found particularly meaningful, especially on this Independence Day.

(Which is also a really kick-ass movie starring Will Smith and Mary McDonnell. *smile*)

My friend Mari is working on posting more in her thingie (that’s what she calls it…get your mind out of the gutter!) by answering the Vox question of the day. Today’s question was:

What are three things you want to learn, and three things you can teach others to do?

This is one of the great things about America (she said, cleverly sneaking in a Patriot’s Journey post) — you can learn just about anything you want to. In many countries, your ability to learn any particular thing depends on your gender, your caste level, your geographic location, your financial status, your family connections, and many other limitations that can’t be easily overcome. However, most of an American’s success or failure depends on hard work, recognizing and availing themselves of opportunities (or creating their own opportunities, if necessary!), determination, and perseverance. Almost every practical thing I’ve ever learned how to do was a result of teaching myself from a book, or finding a person willing to teach it to me.

So here are my answers — I would like to learn how to:

1. Hang-glide
2. Refinish wood (specifically my 62-year-old heirloom Lane cedar chest)
3. De-clutter my house efficiently

I am able to teach:

1. Crocheting
2. Excellent cleaning of just about anything
3. Reading (I taught both my girls)

So what do you want to learn, and what do you have to teach?

Last Saturday, some dear friends got married! (And I was privileged to officiate for the ceremony, which Molly & Fred put together quite beautifully.) It got me thinking about marriage in America.

In the USA (unlike in many cultures/nations), marriage is not mandatory, or arranged with little regard to the feelings of the bride & groom. For the most part, Americans get married because they want to, and because they believe in the commitment they have with their spouse. While those who choose not to get married may occasionally be wondered about, there’s no real derogatory view taken of them.

Being able to be unmarried without ostracism or disapproval from society means, in my opinion, that marriage can be more valued and appreciated than in cultures where marriage is de rigeur. Not that it always is, but I do think it often is, when people stop to think about it. And isn’t that the way it should be?

Definitely worth celebrating (and something I’m pretty sure the rest of the Patriot Journey crew — JimK, Scott, Thebastidge, Doug, Moorewatch and our fearless leader Drumwaster — aren’t going to be featuring as a topic! *smirk*) is the general yumminess of American men.

I’m certainly not a seasoned world traveler (I’ve been to Canada, once), but from what I’ve heard of my friends who’ve seen more of the world, and from the gentlemen I’ve met who weren’t raised in the USA, it seems to me that American men are more respectful and egalitarian than men from most other cultures. While we’re past the pioneer days, I think that most American men understand that the West was not won by sheltered, mincing, delicate hothouse flowers of femininity, or the sort of menfolk who married such — and the strength and independence of American women is largely understood as a given, and much appreciated, by American men. There are exceptions, of course, but you’re less likely to find male oppression of women, or dismissal of female capability, in American men than in virtually any other culture.

I’ve dated my share of American men (okay, I’ve dated my share and probably a few other women’s share, too). Whether tall or short, rich or poor, gorgeous or plain, religious or agnostic, professional or working class, arrogant or humble, they all have something in common — American men are fun-loving. Even the most driven and ambitious of the lot seem to play just as hard as they work, even if it’s not necessarily the sort of play that women really appreciate.

And hell, they’re just plain tasty. Although not generally as fashion-conscious as many Western cultures, America does produce some damned fine-looking men — most of whom look terrific in a pair of jeans. And our boys are clean, too! They don’t usually overdo the cologne, either. Aside from a few metrosexuals, our guys know that the best smell a man can have is his own warm skin, freshly washed. (The most common complaint I’ve heard about international gents is a lack of bathing.)

While American women may complain about their men more than their men might like, I’m positive that very few of us would prefer the alternative, or are willing to give them up!

Something to celebrate about America today is public transit. Sure, it’s a time-consuming and not especially comfortable way to commute, but it would suck a lot more not to have it at all. Trimet, the public transit system in the Portland metro area, has actually won many awards (did you know there’s an International Bus “Roadeo”? I can’t decide if I’m more amused or horrified).

It’s 5 miles from my home to my job; I’d hate to have to walk or bike that far to and from work every day! Driving isn’t especially practical, since there are too many days where my work schedule and Geoffrey’s conflict (although I’ve contemplated getting a Vespa). So I ride Trimet, and take a book along so I can ignore my fellow passengers (although I can’t always ignore their nasty colognes, raucous noise, and general stupidity).

But for all its disadvantages, American public transit is pretty impressive.

Still rambling along on the Patriot’s Journey…so here’s something I like about America today: that we have law enforcement officers like LawDog, who are witty and sensible and yet are still willing to post silly questionnaires on their blogs…which I now have to answer, too:

And now for something completely TMI…

My “baby” (all 5′10″ of her) graduated from middle school today, with a sparkle in her eye and chopsticks in her hair. I don’t have any photos just yet, since she kept the camera for the graduation dance immediately following the ceremony, but hopefully we’ll have pics up tomorrow. And I managed not to actually cry, although it did take some furious blinking a few times to keep the tears (of joy and pride) from spilling out. I’m going to skip any further parental gushing, or I’ll start getting weepy again. (And I’ll avoid grousing about the serious lacks in the ceremony…I just don’t have enough PMS built up at the moment to do it justice.)

And now for the Patriot’s Journey portion of today’s post — a collection of answers (some of which are skippable, but more than a few which are heart-felt) to the question, “What is so great about America?” And definitely check out the blogs of my fellow journeyers: JimK, Scott, Thebastidge, Doug, Moorewatch and our fearless leader Drumwaster.

Yesterday was a migraine-palooza, and today I’m feeling pretty wiped out, so today’s Patriot Journey is going to be a link:

10 things to celebrate: Why I’m an anti-anti-American

In other news, we have — or rather, Anxiety has — new pets, a hamster named Nibbles (because he bites) and 2 gerbils with outlandish names that I can’t recall just now. The gerbils are so damned cute, and silky soft …too bad they’re too small to make a good fur coat. And all the birthday presents I got were wonderful! They included a set of nifty chrome bookends, a set of hilarious to-do list pads with magnetic backs so you can hang them on your fridge (my favorite says at the top of each page: “This is Fucking Urgent”), an Au Lait (still my favorite scent — I just wish they made cologne!) collection in a nifty milkcan tin, the first season of Hex on DVD (now on American DVD release!), and Lyse promised me the first season of Stargate SG-1 as soon as we find a store in town that actually has it in stock (we checked 3 places Monday night, to no avail).

Yes indeedy, I’m the same age as Silly String. Somehow this is horribly appropriate.

Today I turned 29 (for the ninth time).

It really sucks to get up at 5am on your birthday, but better to be getting up for an early day at work than the alternative of not working! (I’m seriously grateful for the employment opportunities available to me in the United States.) After working 8 hours, I spent some time in that great American institution, the Department of Motor Vehicles, renewing my driver’s license (the photo makes me look old & tired…must be a special kind of film the DMV uses). Then I grabbed a Starbucks coffee — another great American tradition (more or less) — on the way to the bus stop, so I’d be awake past 7pm. My birthday dinner will be very patriotic…as least as far as it’ll consist of many chunks of grilled American beef, shish kebob style.

And, a la Forrest Gump (a great American movie!), that’s all I have to say about that.