What did you learn today?

Last night I learned a lesson in reality. And today, I learned that my sister can actually be kind to me when nobody’s around.

What did you learn today?

~Nobody’s Me (on OD)

What did I learn today? Well, I’ll tell you what perception of mine was shattered. It turns out that foreign people are people too.

Everyone knows that. I knew that. But tonight I really LEARNED that. There was a Slavic lady who came into the store tonight to pay for some gasoline. She walked up to the counter looking like any caucasian woman who had grown up in the States, but when she spoke to me, I was surprised to hear her voice…it was Soviet-sounding. Surprise number one.

Two guys came up to the counter to purchase some beer. They were obviously speaking Russian or some other Slavic tongue. “Great,” I thought. “They aren’t going to understand when I ask them for their ID.” So I gave it a try. “May I see your ID please?” A chuckle. A sigh. An ID. Born in 1972, this man spoke perfect English, albeit with a heavy brogue, and he even had the sense enough to joke with me about being ID’d for beer at the age of twenty-nine. Surprise number two.

An older Korean gentleman came into the store today to pay for $21.02 in gasoline. He shuffled up to the counter the way older Asian people do, handed me two cents, and chirped, “Pum thirtee!” I stood there for a moment, wondering why he was only handing me two cents instead of the whole amount. I also noticed he had his other hand hidden behind his back. I thought quickly, trying to resolve the situation, “Did you already pay for the rest of it?” He looked at me quizzically and said, “You wa moe munny? HERE!” and he slammed $21.00 into my hand with a quiet but very relieving laugh. ($21.00 short for the shift is not cool!) With that, I finally understood…”This man is funny!” So I laughed. I laughed after he left the store. I laughed ten minutes later. I laughed a moment ago thinking back on his act and the final smile he gave me. Surprise number three was the seal upon the lesson I learned today. After twice having my thoughts realigned, I was finally able to realize…these people are not “foreign” people. They are just people!

I believe it was Teddy Roosevelt who said (and I paraphrase): Being American is not an ideal of race or nationality or culture. It is an ideal based upon hard work, freedom, and opportunity.

Americans make up 100% of the population of the United States. We’re all Americans.

We’re all Americans.