Leaving The Country!

The other day, Michael and i had a glorious time whistling “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” while making a salad. We have quite a few songs we whistle together quite often. Our little house is a multi-continental place.

One thing i’ve realized is that my friends from all over the world know more about American Culture than i do. People from all kinds o’ continents are always like, “Hey, Shane, you know that movie…” and i usually reply with a “nope, sorry.”

Many times i have no idea who Mr. or Mrs. Such-and-such the Celebrity is and i don’t know who did what or who did who or who got arrested for their fifth DUI or who started a charity to benefit baby harbor seals or what public figure is trying to raise awareness about some made-up pandemic which must be acted out against….now!

All of these tabloid-tastic tidbits and tales of what is globally recognized as American Culture are not just leaking out of the country, they are rushing all over the globe! The world has a voracious appetite for what is happening in America.

i admit, i probably don’t even know nearly as much as your typical American about our celebrities. i know more about my local trees…and what’s happening in Wilmington’s streets and the names of the homeless people who live in Newark. i know a million little things about a thousand little people who may not be important in the public eye, but they sure mean the world to me.

Anyways, the point is that our American actions effect the whole globe. A lot. More than we know. What we do or what our media says we do matters.

i don’t know how many times i have had to answer slews of questions with a little bit of laughter and a “please, please don’t believe the teeee-veee!”

One thing we don’t hear all that much about in America is our wars.

America is at war.

Right now.

War.

Do you remember that it’s a time of war? We have troops all over the world (although they’re supposedly mobilizing home right now, thankfully). People from all over say clever things like, “Waaay to flippin go, Shane. You and your country are killing people all over this gosh-darned world” (yep, they say it just like that).

but i know. i know.

i don’t claim to be very politically well-informed (i am much more concerned with having knowledge about the things that i can personally touch and change and mould). But i know that i wish that the killing would stop. Maybe democracy is not right for every face of this planet. Maybe Western borders and boundaries imposed on Eastern peoples will just cause conflict upon conflict. Maybe in terms of foreign policy, we should just carry a big stick and not actually use it. Maybe we should keep our distance instead of trying to keep the peace and end up blowing countries to pieces.

Personally, i love my country. i love America. i love living there. i also will never fight in the U.S. Army. Love is my religion, but i don not think that the U.S. government would understand that, so, Quakerism is my religion.

In the culmination of a couple of years of being frustrated with American actions in the Middle East, i have written quite a couple songs which i usually don’t share. i finally wrote one that i think encompasses my thankfulness for our great country with my apprehensions about fighting for it…with a little humor thrown in there too.

This here is a rough video recording of my new-ish song, “i Love My Country.” It goes through the various exceptions from the U.S. Draft. i hope it makes sense…

in other news, i am leaving this country on Friday. i am going to the King’s par-tay in Swaziland. He is picking a new wife, and has invited the whole entire world to join in the celebrations with him.

And in other, other news, i have a concert tonight!