Melting Pot

We in the United States may fall into that thinking because as rich as our history is, today's culture is measured by mass marketing and a packaged blandness that stretches from sea to shining sea. There may be a measure of that on the global level, too (international readers will have to weigh in on that; I've never lived anywhere but the USA). So we seek things that are different, or that change our McEnvironment so we can feel special for a few fleeting moments. We turn off the TV and try to turn on our brains.

Hey, I'm all for turning off the TV and actually thinking. Step away from the computer every now and then. Commune with nature (besides getting drunk and peeing on a tree), read something (other than Entertainment Weekly or the Sunday paper), go see something (other than the latest Hollycrap production) and go do something (other than getting drunk and communing with nature). My basic point is, culture is what you make it. You can make your minutes count more if you're actually living them rather than seeing them whiz by, no matter where you are or what you're doing.

Here's some examples:
• Even a zip through the drive-thru at McFatty's can be a cultural experience. Notice the details you see on the building, the McCorporate® names on the menu, the accent of the person taking your order. It's a good example of the bad part of American culture, but it can make an interesting study if you breathe in the sights, smells and sounds before whiffing down those two all-beef patties. Our culture is also apparently Starbucks, although I've still never set foot in one.

• The big-box superstore, such as Off-the-Wall-mart, and on a lesser degree the supermarket, is a distinctly American concept (borrowed from the open-air markets of yesteryear from around the world) of being able to buy just about anything you could ever possibly need in one place. But instead of filling your cart and going home, take a look at all the people there with you. Rich, poor, hot, ugly, fat, skinny, stupid, intelligent, smelly, pleasantly-scented and everything in between in all sorts of beautiful, diverse colors and moods. This is the melting pot sociologists were talking about years ago. That concept didn't really come true without a gathering place, because we tend to stick to our own kind (whatever that may be). Without Wal-Mart, we'd be a souffle of many layers, never really mixing it up.

• In America, except in large cities that have services and public transportation, it's about getting into your own car and driving 40 miles to get somewhere. This is true in Texas where everything's pretty spread out. Instead of cranking up the radio and zoning out, look at the fabric of that gray ribbon you're traveling on. Sure, on interstate road trips, the ubiquitousness of the gas stations and fast food wears you down. But there's some culture hidden there, whether it's the bizarre roadside attraction, the spooky truck stop or the small towns in between the nothingness.

• You don't have to read the latest best-seller or an historic literary tome to sample the culture. What are you doing now? You're reading a blog. Sure, it's not high culture by any means, but it's a part of who we are.

• Watching a children's video is culture. It has to be, because I end up humming Veggie Tales and Sesame Street songs from time to time. It means ours is a culture that gets the kids watching TV early. As long as it's mixed with other experiences, then it's a good thing, right? Right?

I've experienced more culture eating at a backwoods seafood/barbecue joint than I did going to see Les Miserables. I enjoyed the theater production. But with corn stuck between my teeth, sauce running down my elbows and a buttermilk biscuit in one hand, I got to see hard-working people who know how to have a good time. I noticed the textures, smells, and conversation. We had to ride on a two-car ferry across the river to get there. Rolls of paper towels were placemats, napkins and bibs – something many chain restaurants try to replicate (Joe's Crab Shack, et. al.) but can't get right.

Saw a similar scene in a small-town Dairy Queen, where I watched and listened to a group of regulars (they had their own coffee cups on a rack above a public sink) talk about working in the oil fields. One of them had his son with him to show him the ropes of the business.

What's your favorite way to experience culture, and what is "culture" to you? There are no wrong answers in Blogland!