Only in America?

Only in America, or so they say. A friend is roadtripping and posted a photo of a heart attack on a plate: a bacon cheeseburger with a huge side of fries. Doesn’t sound too unusual, until you hear that the bun is made of two glazed doughnuts. Seriously. Yep, that’s about 1500 calories in one sitting – if you can manage it.

Only in America – school drills for lockdowns? I heard from a friend that her daughter found the lockdown drills during the first week of school scary. “Lockdown drills?” I asked. Her older daughter said, “You know, if a robber comes into the school.” Oh, that kind of lockdown. I know that the right to bear arms is part of the American identity, but seriously? My heart aches for the reasons behind these new drills. Tornado drills in Minnesota were bad enough for my imagination – I’d picture the wind shattering the glass, us kids rolled into little balls in the hallways. The thought of an armed shooter terrorizing sweet school kids tears me up.

Photo: Curtis Palmer, Creative Commons

I do miss America. I miss my family and friends. I miss the free and easy can-do spirit. I miss chatting at the check-out line without feeling silently judged for speaking. I miss not being the only crazy Yank hooting during a group exercise class. I miss wide spaces and roads you can drive on without feeling the oncoming traffic is heading right for you, the lanes being so narrow. I miss Superbowl parties and fireworks on the Fourth of July. I miss Target and cheap gas and pelting showers and once in awhile, Kraft macaroni and cheese.

But the two examples above show that my home country isn’t perfect. No country is; we live in a fallen world and no society can claim it’s a utopia. I can laugh at the outrageous burger and pray for miracles to keep the kids safe, and remember that “only in America” has its highlights and lowlights.

God bless the USA.