March 24, 2015
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Anyhow, the second most popular answer in their survey was “being an American,” which, even though I”m Canadian, makes more sense to me. The United States surely possesses the most stirring (not to mention long lived) civil religion in history “ David Gelernter called “Americanism” “the fourth great Western religion”—although in fairness, the ancient Romans weren”t fortunate enough to have Schoolhouse Rock at their disposal.
Barna’s respondents then placed “my religious faith” (#3) slightly ahead of “my ethnic group” (#4). That’s when I realized what this survey was missing: Had it included the option “My political affiliation,” surely that would have placed second.
Rounding out the results, “My State” and “My City/Town” came in at (#6 and #7) respectively. Again, I cannot comprehend the passion some individuals place on “representin”” their area code or boasting about their state. Your home town is an arbitrary intersection of longitude and latitude. At nineteen, I was escorted to the city limits and, for the crime of using words with more than two syllables, ordered never to return.
Which reminds me: I still own a burial plot my mother bought me for $50 when I was a baby “ we were a VERY strange bunch “ and I need to unload it, because I never want to go back to Hamilton permanently, even as a corpse.
Which brings me around again to #5 on the Barna survey: “My career.” Finally, a few folks after my (rather hard) heart.
I never really “loved” my estranged father per se “ he never paid child support and was (see above) clearly put out by his rare Sunday “turns” with me “ so perhaps this isn”t the best example of Storr’s principle in action.
But when my father died (as my mother always predicted he would, miserable and alone) I told the undertaker “ even though I sure as hell wasn”t paying for the funeral “ to put his body on ice for a few days.
I had a big project to finish at work.
