The Character of Americans

I forgot to tell this story...it was interesting.


So I'm down in the play room with E right? And they have a nanny on call all the time down there who happens to be a guy and obviously, he is starved for conversation because as soon as I get there he's talking my ear off about what I think of Obama, if I like skiing, what I think of my job, etc. Then he says randomly, "But I can tell you have that (insert some word I don't know here) that Italians calls (some Italian word I don't know here)"
"I'm sorry I don't know what that means."
"What would you call it English? It's when they (makes all these sounds)
"I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're trying to say."
"I'm going to find out" and he actually calls a friend on the phone to ask what it would be in English.
"Spirit!" he yells after returning.
"What?"
"I can see you have a lot of spirit."
Well that's good to know.
"What in the world makes you say that?"
"The other day, you were in here dealing with a difficult child and when you were trying to give him direction you said, 'look at me in the eye and tell me you understand' and then another day when he made a rude face you told him that was not acceptable."
"Yes...and...?"
"You speak as someone who knows what they want and are not afraid to persue it."
"Hmmm."
"I think that is the character of Americans. In American, indepence is stressed. You have to work for what you want...here things are very often just acquired."
"Well, that I completely agree with. But I wouldn't say that means I'm spirited...I'm stern because I have to be."
"That's ok...I can see a big spirit inside of you."

So I guess it was nice to know it's still there...
yet after being around him constantly for the past four days...
he's kind of crazy so you should probably take it all with a grain of salt.
He also asked me what I was doing for Valentine's Day so...