These facts do not elude me when I am with my friends. They are, however, just facts. Friendships are not based on facts. I chose my friends as they chose me. Each of us became friends freely. As consenting adults, we could sever our bonds freely as well, but is that the only viable solution? To sever a bond when it becomes a burden? To discard something as soon as its losses its luster? Does our connection not have value?
I value our friendship. I value the days we fight as much as the nights we talk. The time we spend together means something to me and simply ending it will do neither of us better.
I would end up missing you and you would end up missing me. And, honestly, we would be too stubborn to admit our regret until it was too late.
So, what should we do? If things are messed up around us, do we insulate ourselves from the world and ignore the issues for the rest of our lives? Should I relegate my differences to only friends who are also a minority or of similar persuasion? What if all my friends did that? What if an entire country were to do that?
My Solution
I do not know what to do about the country but, I know what I will do about my friends. I will tell them. They will know. They will learn that my American life is not like theirs and they will learn that I am not “okay” with it. I will tell them that I love my country as much as they do, but there are other reasons to love it aside from their reasons. We will have deep, uncomfortable discussions. We may fight because of those discussions. We may never make-up, but I cling to this Hope: they will respect me more for my honesty.
About the Author
Chris Perry has written for and managed the Grey Point of View since 2021. He is based near Nürnberg, Germany where he remotely attends the University of Maryland Global Campus. His hobbies include mastering the art of web design, navigating global news, and studying weapons of mass destruction. TheGreyPointofView.com is an American expat blog, new style independent blog site started by U.S. expats. We cover a range of topics spanning from politics, practical ethics and more. If you are interested in writing with us, send us your post for review. We look forward to hearing from you.
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https://www.thegreypointofview.com/ is a new style, indie media group started by U.S. expats. We cover a range of topics spanning from politics, practical ethics and more. If you are interested in working with us, email "Grey" @ [email protected].
We look forward to hearing from you.