W
e went out to lunch at a classic diner with Elena's family today, and John instantly became very popular. I slapped him down on the counter as we sat, and our waitress, Jessie, immediately had her heart stolen. She asked to hold him, which I obliged, and she proceeded to be a delight throughout our entire meal, asking questions, fawning over John and the Guatemalan contingent, and taking care of everything for us.
There's a little stereotype out there that the rest of the world hates Americans, but this is actually false. Really, middle- to upper-class Europeans hate Americans; everybody else loves them, and our waitress reminded me why. Americans are enthusiastic, open, friendly, curious, and fun-loving (at least the ones who travel, or get into conversations with foreigners), and have so many fewer barriers than many people on the world stage. There's a sincerity and guilelessness to so many Americans that's hard to find elsewhere.