Learning the hard way what it means to be an American

Born American, but in the Wrong Place by Peter W. Schramm is somewhat longer than most things I link to, but well worth the time to read. Parental guidance is suggested, since part of it has descriptions of life and death in a war zone.

Dr. Schramm was born in Hungary, and now is Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center and Professor of Political Science at Ashland University. As a young man, he kept going back and forth between focusing on Europe and focusing on America, until he got it through his head what his father had tried to teach him about why the family immigrated to America after risking their necks sneaking out of Hungary. By turns funny, shocking, philosophical, earnest, the piece is something of an education in itself.

It also has one of those "if not for a kind deed long ago" twists that is much beloved by us incurable romantics. :) Not that it wouldn't have been a stirring, rousing tale without it, but, well, I come from a heritage that adores stories of near disasters that somehow, preferably almost miraculously, come out all right, especially if it's because a selfless deed bears unexpected fruit. Call it icing on the cake, but enjoy it all the same.

He also tries to convey some of what Europeans don't tend to understand about Americans, and vice versa, which I think is useful.

Schramm posts regularly at No Left Turns. He's long struck me as one of the better anchored commentators out there. Now I think I have a better idea why. Yinga. What a life so far.

hat tip: Winds of Change