Questions

Our recent Norwegian guests each asked me a unique and thought provoking question about America that was not as easy to answer as I would have expected.

Thirteen-year-old Daniel, asked me, “What does the ‘American Dream’ mean?”  It’s a term he’s obviously grown up hearing in Norway, as so many Norwegians left their native land in it’s pursuit.  I told him for most people it probably has something to do with moving to America to get rich.  The quest-for-more seems to be the underlying current in many factors of American life, as opposed to life in Norway where the quest-for-what’s-good-for-the-people is behind nearly every decision made by their government, companies and individuals.  Socialism will do that.  Greed certainly isn’t their driving factor.

Daniel thought the American Dream just meant moving to America to get a job.  I told him plenty of Americans are now out of a job so the pursuit of the American Dream is in no way just for immigrants.  It’s ironic now though that so many people are moving to Norway in search of jobs because the economy there is doing quite well.

I also told Daniel that our family lives a pretty simple life, we aren’t rich, and we don’t have a lot of stuff, but because we have so much freedom, I feel we are living the American Dream.  He agreed that each person probably has their own definition of what that term means.

Daniel’s dad, Are, noticed that everyone he met in America asked him how he is doing.  It’s not customary in Norway to be so intrusive.  He asked me, “How am I supposed to answer that question?” I told him to respond like most Americans and no matter how he feels, just say, “Fine.”  He thought that was rather odd, and it made him wonder if everyone gives the same answer, why even bother asking the question.  Norwegians are just so practical.

My friend Tina’s big question was, “What does it mean that ‘9/11 was an inside job’?”  It’s something she’s heard about but didn’t understand the concept.  I explained to her that some people think the American government was behind the towers falling because of some questionable evidence and the fact that Building #7 wasn’t hit by anything but debris but it fell as if explosives were detonated for it’s demolition. I told her as an American, it’s hard for me to understand the concept, too, because I really don’t want to believe our government could be supportive of something that evil, but the facts sure don’t add up.

Nothing like having foreign guests to highlight some questionable aspects of our American life.