A Trivial Comedy for serious people archives

I feel so awkward sometimes.

HOWEVER, I was delighted to read yesterday that Steph is coming to visit. God, and I need her in an almost scary way.

Anyway, I am incredibly uncomfortable with the way people talk about politics and my nation. They expect me to act as a representative of the whole of the States - to sum up "what Americans think of the British" (Right, like I'm qualified to give you a few adjectives for what 220 million people think), to say what I felt about September 11 (Do they expect me to say something like we deserved it, it was a long time coming? I usually just say "It was incredibly traumatic" - because it was.)

I am uncomfortable talking to people about their nationalistic, xenophobic party affiliations. Do I really feel like having this fight? I feel like the abuse would be compounded by my being American. And I do suspect it would be a rather abusive exercise. However, smiling and nodding really makes me ill.

Also, I am appalled sometimes by the way some men here talk about women. I didn't really think people did that.

I have had a very sheltered existence. It's like, yeah, these people are decent human beings, they're funny and they're nice to me, but I just can't believe the things that come out of their mouths. I worry that I have no sense of humor, or something, because I don't find this funny.

2003-02-15, heya

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