Only In America
This week, we celebrate the founding, the birth of America. Every year, it seems like we talk about how divided Americans are. Whether it be by class, race, gender, or politics, and it also seems that every year, there are more and more people who have a vested interest in keeping us that way. It is an evil brew of government, politicians, race hustlers, and social justice warriors, intent on keeping Americans at each other’s throats for money, power, status, or a sick combination of all three. Lots of polls will tell you that Americans are very concerned about the state, and direction of the country. But in an almost therapeutic way, most of us at least, take this one day of the year to remind ourselves just what an amazing achievement America is, and how blessed we are to be Americans. Lots of people talk about things like Founding Fathers, founding documents, and other serious aspects of America and being Americans. And that definitely has its place. But I wanted to do something different this year. I wanted to look at a few things that, had America not been created, these three things would not exist either. They are borne of the magical melting pot that is America. We might not have all arrived on her shores in the most ideal ways, but all of us, with our know-how, passion, drive, ingenuity, and just plain creativity, created things that could be nothing else but the inventions from the minds and spirits of Americans. America is still the best place on earth to be born and has given the world some of the best creations ever experienced. I am talking about Rock n Roll, muscle cars, and food.
Not many things are more quintessentially American than good ol’ hard core a**-kickin’ rock n roll. It could not have been invented anywhere else on the planet for a few reasons.
Rock was invented because of that melting pot of America. Some long-ago genius, or geniuses, thought to combine the structure of blues and soul music African Americans were playing in the south, with the twangy fiddle-laced country & western music rural and mountain white people were playing, with the feeling and passion of gospel music that everyone was playing.
And the subject matter was the stuff we could all relate to. If people did not fall in and out of love, get cheated on and dumped, and come back together again, there might not have been rock n roll.
That musical stew became all of us – from Robert Johnson learning the blues by infamously selling his soul to the devil at the crossroads, to Fats Domino rocking away at his piano, to Chuck Berry’s rockabilly and Elvis Presley’s hip thrusts.
The sound was so powerful it made its way to our cousins across the pond with The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones, while here it became Kansas, Boston, Journey, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Listen to all that music long enough, and you will hear the first blues riff played by Robert Johnson. Only in America.
The automobile was actually invented in France and Germany towards the end of the nineteenth century. But it took Americans to take that idea and boy did we run with it! There is no other place on the planet that could have initiated the mass production that Henry Ford developed, so that his Model T could be attainable to the working man. Because of the competition of the “Big 3” automobile manufacturers, American auto designers gave the world the most timeless styles that could not have been realized anywhere else. The classic fins and power of a 1957 Chevy Belair, the affordable and insanely popular to this day Ford Mustang, the sleek lines, and even more power of a Corvette.
We all remember our first car. It was our first taste of freedom and doing what you wanted to do. We overlooked all the imperfections and things that might have been missing or didn’t work. None of that mattered, it was ours.
The other thing we had, and still have: Wide open spaces, and wide-open roads to drive those cars on.
That ’64 Impala I paid $200 for, with paint splotches, holes in the floorboards, and a metal dashboard you could fry an egg on in the summer, was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen at 17. Only in America.
As divided a nation as America seems to be this Independence Day, nothing can bring people together and maybe even make them forget their differences for a little while like food. We can start on the east coast and talk about clam chowder and lobster rolls. Head to New York City, and whatever you have a taste for is there. Head south and you can find amazing soul food. Southern hospitality usually comes in the form of something fried, but definitely delicious!
Head back up north a bit for the melty goodness of Wisconsin cheese curds. Heading south to Chicago you will find deep dish pizza and Italian beef. Hit the midwest for “toasted ravs” (ravioli) and gooey butter cake in St. Louis. (If you’ve never tried St. Louis style pizza, you haven’t lived.)
Some of the best barbecue can’t be missed in Kansas City. Head Southwest for Tex-Mex treats of tacos, burritos, and green chili sauce. And once in California, some not-to-be missed Asian food. It’s all rolled into one amazing American flavor. However, we wouldn’t be Americans if we did not love fast-food! Whether it is a Big Mac, Whopper, or just about anything from Taco Bell, we usually can’t just drive on by. Only in America.
As we celebrate Independence Day this year, not only should we be grateful to live in the most amazing country on earth, but that, as Americans, the things that we create are the envy of the world.
