I think I may slowly but surely becoming more American. Earlier this week I noted I became irritated by the fact that five minutes after sitting down in a D.C. restaurant I was still without a menu or the obligatory glass of iced water.
My response goes to show that Brussels is but a fading memory. The city does have many fantastic and very affordable restaurants that serve on average better fare than here for the equivalent price. However, it is the complete opposite of America in terms of service. You can sit there for what seem like eons before even an acknowledgement of your existence by the waitress. Complain and you’ll get the Belgian roll of the eyes (the equivalent of the Gallic shrug). Perhaps even a suggestion that you’re lucky to be a customer. You are of course free to go elsewhere, the waiter may seem to suggest. After a few years in Brussels this, of course, all seems quite normal.
Despite this, I think the Belgian, and dare I generalize and say the European, approach may have something to recommend it to America. Whether I seem to look in the U.S. there seems to be an assumption that things should happen now. Evidence of this can’t wait culture, and its negative effects, occur to me almost every day i am here.
Conspicuous consumption abounds on the Rockville Pike just down the road from my house. Can’t wait till Monday morning to buy that widget you don’t really need, fear not they’re open now. You don’t even have to have money to pay for it. They’ll offer easy credit on today only sales prices, always. Of course, one doesn’t have to be a genius in this post credit crunch world to work out where this gets us all. Folks without homes they could never afford and a fragile global economy.
In politics, the twenty four hour news-cycles and the stinging long tail of social media mean government officials can be let go for snippets of video taken out of context by right winger bloggers or attacks on opponents generated with less than a satisfactory examination of the facts from the other extreme. We expect action now. Obama delivers historic healthcare reform. He staves off economic depression. But the voters get angry because he hasn’t done something about a nine point six percent unemployment rate now.
It all leads me to the reason why I think there’s a sense of frustration when i hear Americans talk about our little European project. Things rarely happen now in Europe. It must be quite frustrating for a bunch of people who are used to getting what they want now.
However, i’ve come to the conclusion that sometimes waiting is good. Time allows one to focus on what’s important, not for the instant but for tomorrow. Time allows judgements to be considered, consensus to be reached or directions to be changed after sober reflection. Time allows for that Belgian chef to cook my food, rather than microwave it. For my appetite to grow so I know I’ll enjoy it.
Some things just can’t happen now. They take time and there are some advantages to the fact that they do.
James
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