As an American, I like to consider myself cultured and tolerant of anyone and everyone. Heck, we are all from somewhere else originally so I go with it. However, Americans to anyone outside of the U.S. are the RUDEST bastards ever! Even I think we are kinda horrible at our ignorance and I am the meanest person I know!
Have you ever noticed the tightly wound Debutante who just keeps talking louder to the person who speaks absolutely no English at all? Yes, please keep screaming at them until they get it! LOL! What about the "cultured" old lady who makes wild hand gestures to the man that is stone deaf and is just laughing to himself at her awkward, bizarre and overly dramatic hand gestures? Or the people who try to make up signs to the deafy so that they can understand but end up injuring themselves in their pursuit?
I realize that language is a huge barrier in cultures but as a fellow dumb American I only really know enough Spanish to get me in trouble and enough Sign Language to sign naughty words. In the States, my generation wasn't really given much of an opportunity to learn another language and it really wasn't necessary until now. Does this give me a pass card? I want to say yes but the answer is no. I just don't want to look like the idiot waving my hands wildly around, playing charades with someone who can't understand me but is pretty sure I am mentally retarded.
So here is to New Year's Resolutions and learning the other half of the languages I was properly taught but have sadly forgotten.
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