accents

I always found it so strange that the United States is such a potluck of people. We have all heard the term "melting pot," but I guess I never kind of paid attention to the fact that people come here, to the US to live. They leave their roots, cultures--lives behind. And for what? To live here.

Currently U2's "The Refugee" is playing on my iTunes. It goes something like this:
Oh, Oh
She's the refugee.
I see your face,
I see you staring back at me.
Oh, Oh
She's the refugee
Her mama say one day she's gonna
live in America.

In the morning,
She is waiting,
Waiting for the ship to sail,
Sail away.

Her papa go to war.
He gonna fight,
But he don't know what for.
Her papa go to war
Her mama say one day he's
gonna come back from far away.

Help me.
How can you help me?
In the evening,
She is waiting,
Waiting for her man to come.
And take her by her hand.
And take her to this promise land.

She's a pretty face,
But at the wrong time and at the wrong place.
She's a pretty face.
Her mama say one days she's gonna live in America.
Yeah, America.

She's a refugee.
She's coming back, she's coming for company.
She's a refugee.
Her mama say one day she's gonna live in America.

The concept of an American going to live abroad, I feel, more than in other countries, is seen as kind of unpatriotic. "We've got it so good here--Why live anywhere else?" I think that's part of a problem in America. People only want to do what's comfortable, and if you're born in U2's so-called "promised land" should there be anywhere else worthy of living in? Personally, I'm all about understanding the lives and cultures of other human beings. To me, it's really unfortunate when I hear of someone who has no desire to go beyond these boarders. For those who are akin to traveling I can really see that lifestyle as appealing. Maybe not forever, but enough, enough to satisfy.

If this isn't making any sense, then fine, but I just started thinking about how my country is seen in the world, and I wonder so much if I would feel this way if I lived outside of here. Then there's always the accents. However aware I am of my Chicago sound, I still think its rather humorous when I hear the accent of someone else. There's this moment when you realize that we both sound kind of cool to the other. It just doesn't always seem that when in Iowa, where there's an international student maybe 1 in 100, if not less.

Really, that's it. All I have really thought about so far.