Inauguration Day Special

(addendum to Georgia post)

Just got off the phone with a dear friend and realized I failed to include some important reflections from our trip to Georgia so on this Inauguration Day in which some are excited and many filled with gloom and fear for the future of our beloved nation/planet, I figured I might as well share some perspective¹ I’ve gained on the road.

Prior to this trip, I wasn’t what I’d consider ‘well-traveled’ and figured most of the world despised Americans (probably because I’ve spent most of my time abroad in France).

Imagine my surprise when literally everywhere - EVERYWHERE - we’ve adventured on this trip, our American status was regarded with approval if not outright enthusiasm.

While trekking in Georgia we came across a lot of different people. There was the strapping German threesome we met at a mountaintop tea stand that knew all about the BMW Performance Center near Asheville. We became instant hiking buddies with a gregarious Saudi Arabian couple that had completed their undergrad at Emory. There was the svelte Swiss women’s group completing their 3rd tour of Svaneti that outpaced us for miles and doted on Chester endlessly when we finally arrived at our shared guesthouse. At every encounter, I kept bristling at the question, “Where are you from?” awaiting a peevish political condemnation or subtle sneer that never came.

But of course not everyone is met with the same goodwill when flashing their passport. On one memorable evening on the trek we sat down for dinner with our new Saudi buddies and Georgian hosts. A few bites in we were joined by an Israeli trio and exchanged a quick “Where are you from?” Upon hearing from the Saudis, one of the Israelis offered, “Oh, then we are friends then!” with a smile. The Saudi woman visibly recoiled and I thought she might reach across the table and stab him. Within minutes though, the mood began to soften as we bonded over the thing travelers talk to travelers about while traveling: all of the other places they’ve travelled. We had just broken out another round of beers when a Chinese couple walked in and all hell broke loose. Bottles spontaneously shattered, daggers were drawn and Chester ducked under a chair with only seconds to spare before the entire table erupted in bloodshed.

Except that it didn’t.

Conversation continued late into the evening and fired up again around the breakfast table shortly after sunrise. It turns out when we actually consider one another while breaking bread (in this case Khachapuri), we start to recognize ourselves in the other.

Which brings me back to Inauguration Day. While I recognize identity politics can be an integral part of our stories, if you believe you are wholly defined by one of just the two political affiliations, I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit. It’s not a new problem, partisan divides have plagued us since the nation’s inception (and probably before that); so, why is it still so hard to talk across the aisle?

What my dear friend pointed out during our catch up, and what I witnessed first hand over Khachapuri, is that we all value human life and want things to get better. I’ll go out on a limb and say that more unites us than divides us. So I implore you to notice that urge to back away slowly when you spot an enemy flag. The next time the alarm bells sound take a moment before bolting to try something different - engage. Ask your perceived enemy to say more. Ask them what they meant by that, or better yet, what was happening in their life when they formed that opinion.

Few Americans have been exposed to the brutalism people in many nations continue to endure and we all take the luxury of being a global superpower for granted. We’re not a monoculture. Our population is not homogenous. Not everyone is coming from the same place and playing by the same rules, and the melting pot creates a lot of challenges². But damn, where else in the world can you get cheese dip at a Mexican restaurant? Or delicious hot crispy waffles at Waffle House at 4 am? (Can you tell that I’m pregnant) Or stream White Lotus on Max?³ This is the wild wonderful experiment in democracy called the United States of America, and I have missed the hell out of it! In the hopes that we remain the dynamic powerful nation the world over can admire, I pledge the following:

I commit to engaging my ‘enemies’ and learning more about where they’re coming from. I commit to the work it takes to stay informed, and to understand issues I take a stance on deeply. I will resist the urge to blame the opposing party for all of my problems, and will take deliberate action in real life before hollowly virtue signaling via social media.

If you’re with me, I challenge you to do the unthinkable - talk politics! Queue up Born in the USA on repeat and ask that nut job from high school out for coffee. Better yet, grab dinner with the flat earther two doors down. Oh, and call your Aunt Donna while you’re at it. Do it now!

Signed,

big liz in Svaneti, unfettered by the anxieties associated with talking politics

Liz

P.S. Alex didn’t write this (and DON’T GIVE HIM CREDIT IF YOU LIKED IT. EVERYONE THINKS HE’S WRITING ALL THE DAMN NEWSLETTERS) but he does generally endorse the sentiment except for the cheese dip and run on sentences.

P.P.S If you don’t endorse the sentiment, let me know why! I’ll try not to blame you for all my problems 🙂

1. Parental Advisory that the political observations referenced here are mine alone and should not be conflated with objective geopolitical realities.

2. Not to mention slavery, capitalism, ultra processed foods - stay tuned for future newsletters.

3. The answer is nowhere, I’ve been searching for months.