Was I born on the wrong continent?

In a Chicago bookstore, I came across Were you born on the wrong continent? How the European model can help you get a life by Thomas Geoghegan, an American labor lawyer. A quick perusal: intriguing writing and questions posed from a Chicagoan who’d become interested in the European model, Germany in particular. So I ordered it from my Army library.

Mr. Geoghegan points out the pros of the German government: though they pay more taxes, they receive more benefits, including more paid holidays, retirement, maternity & paternity leave, nursing home benefits, and guaranteed wages/unemployment. There are also more checks and balances in place, to prevent a recurrence of WWs I & II, which were put into place partially by the US Army.

Other points which interested me: Germany has a lower college education rate than USA, and he points out the German education system needs work. But at the same time, how many of our college grads are working beneath their degrees, as waiters or baristas or secretaries, or personal assistants. Perhaps what we need is less formal education and more life long education. German newspaper circulation is 23 million; USA is 34 million. Total populations are Germany: 82 million, USA: 310 million. 78% of Germans read the newspaper daily for at least 28 minutes. What about Americans? He argues than they have more lifelong education, and therefore are more involved in their government, and the world at large, which I think are probably true.

In Europe, I feel at peace in a way I’ve not felt before. Is it because a night out is dinner with friends for three hours? That weekends are walking in the woods? Is it that people over here watch less TV than Americans and their hours/week are decreasing while ours are increasing? Is it the leisureliness that is inherent in the European lifestyle? I don’t know. But I do know that I feel like I belong here. The values of the Europeans match mine.

On my recent trip home to the states, I felt flat towards my own country. Not distaste, but not belonging either. I was watching myself from the outside as I was there, waiting to see what I’d feel. Would I want to go home? What is home anyway? I felt home in Germany when I went through immigration speaking all German to the customs agent, hopping the trains, quiet and efficient, making jokes with the man sitting next to me, seeing my little car in the train parking lot where I’d left it free for the week, traversing the country roads through the fields, not another car in sight. Arriving home.

I don’t know if the Germany model is the answer to America’s economic woes, but it is worth a look at. As for myself, I am still investigating the European lifestyle, and hope to do so for a while longer.

Inclinations on Socializing

Tomorrow morning before work there's a run. A Yellow Ribbon family fun run at 6:30AM. Registration starts at 4:30AM. This army thing is not for the faint of morning- a class to which I most definitely belong. My colleague (the chief of optometry) asked me yesterday if I wanted to run. I thought, like I want to roll out of bed early and start running and then go to work, am I crazy? But there's free coffee and hot chocolate. So perhaps.

After deep contemplation last night, I decided it would be nice if I ran. So I will. Today I received an e-mail from Specialist Sargent. Yes, his last name is Sargent. More than confusing for someone with the feeble military knowledge that I possess. He said the clinic group can meet at 5:30AM and we can all run together. Fun! (Not.) But I'm going. I hope no one notices that I'm a monster in the morning. I'll try not to talk. I mean growl.

Friday afternoon brings more socializing with colleages. Thanksgiving dinner. At 13:00. In the clinic. The physical therapy receptionist asked if I wanted to join and bring a dish. I thought, how am I going to cook without a kitchen? And do I really want to start the potlucks? Should I be social or antisocial with my coworkers? So I said, "I don't know if I can come." (Like what else would I be doing? Polishing my Hooptie?)

I reflected. I'm here to be part of the group. I'm here to make friends, socialize and belong. I'm not here to be an island. The contractors have a funny position because we're not military, nor government employees. There are things that we're left out on. Some contractors feel this is very excluding of them. I haven't developed an opinion on it yet but I've decided that I am here to part of things, not to watch. So I'll be in the Yellow Ribbon Run and I'll make a vegetarian delicacy for the Thanksgiving dinner. Even if it is just cauliflower and hummus.