This year, I was blessed to spend two weeks each in Egypt and Mexico. It was the first time in 25 years that I had travelled outside the United States or Canada. My major takeaway from my trips to Mexico and Egypt was a new appreciation for the blessings we enjoy in the United States. The U.S. has its weaknesses, to be sure, but we have a lot of strengths, and our prosperity allows us the resources to work on our weaknesses. What are those strengths?
Before I talk about America’s strengths, let me talk about the strengths of Mexico and Egypt. First, let me talk about Mexico. I knew that Mexico is more prosperous than many Americans think. I went to Cancún and Guadalajara. Guadalajara is right in the heart of Mexico. It is surprisingly prosperous. Its plazas or shopping centers can rival or outdo those of the United States.
One day, an Uber dropped me off near a lower-end plaza. I was waiting for a friend to finish with a meeting. So, I looked for a good place to wait. I was there by the road, and I looked across the street. There was a Starbucks, just one of many that I saw in México. I was actually standing in front of an Autozone. Down the street, there was a Denny’s, because a Grand Slam is a Grand Slam in any language. Walmart and Sam’s Club were everywhere. Mexico is more like the United States and more prosperous than one might suppose.
What is striking about México is the insecurity. Every house seems to have high walls. There is often barbed wire on the top of the walls. Nevertheless, I talked to numerous locals, and they assured me that it was safe to walk in the street during the day in Guadalajara. I had no problems as I did so, though, admittedly, I only did this a couple of times.
In terms of economic conditions, Mexico and Egypt are somewhat similar. The dollar goes a lot further in those countries than it does back home. Egypt did not seem as prosperous as Mexico, though. The conditions seemed more challenging (see this interesting comparison here).
What struck me most about Egypt was the friendliness of people. Everyone was ready to connect with you and be your friend. People would greet you with kindness. For example, I would ask them if they were having a good day. All over, they would say things like, “I am having a good day because I get to see you.” Now, the cynic in me was tempted to think that this was because of American money. However, three things showed me that this was not the case. First, I observed that they always treated each other with the same warmth. Second, when we stayed at a hotel during the celebration of the Feast of Eids, we met numerous upper middle class or upper class people. They were just as friendly as the poorer people had been. They took us under their wing and wanted to be our friends. Third, in Mexico, Melinda and I met two Egyptian women who lived in the United States and were vacationing in Mexico. They were the same way, they wanted to connect with us and were happy to be friends with us. I’ve never been to a place where it was easier to make friends.
Now, I expected something like this in Mexico, but I did not find it. They were polite and cordial, but they were more standoffish. It is more like the United States, perhaps it is even worse, because Mexico is much less secure. This probably explains people’s general hesitancy to talk to people. Visiting Mexico made me appreciate how friendly Egypt was.
So, there were many things to commend Mexico and Egypt. Nevertheless, there are some key blessings that we enjoy in the United States that it would be easy to overlook because of our familiarity with them.
First, we have an amazing economy. With hard work, it is easy to get ahead. With a few adjustments, like multigenerational housing, it becomes even easier. In other countries, people often have to work extremely hard just to survive. In our country, we can work hard and thrive.
Now, people can’t always get ahead here in the U.S. People fall through the cracks. Nevertheless, there is a reasonably good safety net that keeps people from falling too far behind.
Second, there is an amazing amount of security. Yes, there are some places that are more dangerous. Nevertheless, taken as a whole, our nation is very secure. If there are crimes, they are investigated. In my own town, I tell foreigners they can walk in the streets at any time without fear. This is true in most of the areas of the United States. We have suburbs without walls and without bars on the doors. This is an amazing blessing.
Third, there is good order. After riding in a car in Cairo, I will never complain about any traffic anywhere in the United States. Now, the people of Cairo make it work. They have their own system, but it’s kind of crazy. Here, people follow good order. Even busy traffic is in good order. This characterizes our society up and down. This allows us to dependably travel and do commerce.
Where the United States often lacks is community. We tend to live isolated lives. We build our own little palaces, and we spend our time there. This can be good, but when I returned from Egypt I missed the ease with which I could make friends and connect with people. However, Mexico made me feel a little better about the U.S. It is easier to connect with people here (and note, this is not because of language barrier because I speak Spanish relatively well). I would also note that our security and economy give us the possibility of community. We just have to work at it. It won’t come easy.
Returning to the subject of Egypt, I was so impressed with the way that the Egyptian people interact with each other and with outsiders that I want to go back there. In fact, I plan to go back there soon. The pyramids and the Nile cruise are great, but the main thing I want to do is to remember how loving and open-hearted the Egyptian people are. I want to experience it so that I don’t forget it and so I can interact with people like an Egyptian right here in the United States.