Emails From Across The Pond-Yank Independence Day
Emails From Across The Pond-Yank Independence Day
I came to the UK about nine years ago from Florida, and I live in South Yorkshire – “The Greater Metropolitan Barnsley Area.”
One thing about living in small South Yorkshire village is that when it comes to brutal kidding, you don’t get any real respect unless you can give as good as you get. So, as the only American in the village, I have to be pretty thick-skinned, and on American holidays, I’ve got to toughen-up a little more.
One thing I can tell you for certain is that even after two hundred plus years, the mention of Independence Day still strikes a sour note with most Brits. The truth of the matter is that they never have got over the rejection of British rule by their ‘awkward American cousins.’
Emails From Across The Pond-Yank Independence Day
Still in a state of denial, many Brits still see the US as a petulant, United Kingdom Commonwealth Country that rejected the monarchy. They just can’t understand why Americans don’t see the light and come back into the fold.
On the Fourth of July, the common, almost scornful greeting I get in my village is, “Oh aye hit-tis Yank Independence Day, itenit? Got yer flag-up and flappin’, duck?”
Now, on “- – - Yank Independence Day – - -,” I tend to stay in and avoid heading up to the village. Aside from taking a good, acerbic ribbing from the crusty, South Yorkshire villagers, there are always one or two people that are still outraged that America had the audacity to break away from “Great Britain.”
It’s the stereotypical curmudgeons with a black cloud over their heads that stalk me down the High Street looking for an opportunity to pounce and give me a piece of their mind.
Hoyland Nether is a small place, so it’s next to impossible to avoid an encounter and subsequent history lessons.
Seeing them any day of the week is bad enough, but ‘Yank Independence Day’ really sets them off on anti American tirades. And of course, as the only American in the village, I’m the brunt of all the pent-up animosity – to the other villagers’ amusement, of course.
The curmudgeons always grudgingly feign cordiality with a forced smile and a few perfunctory words about the weather, but underneath, the seething anti American sentiment is fastly boiling to the surface.
Emails From Across The Pond-Yank Independence Day
The first words out of his are usually, “Aye-yup duck, luv-le morn, itenit?”
Then the polite conservation rapidly devolves into a finger-pointing lecture.
Well, the first part of the lecture is always about how American sports are a bunch of sissy games compared to British sports, and the penultimate section is that the worst thing that ever happened to Britain was when “the Yanks” entered into World War II – the war would have been over in 1942 if the Yanks hadn’t got involved and “tossed a spanner into the works.”
The WW II history lesson is always ends with how the “Yanks” just came to Britain for an extended holiday to enjoy the “luv-le” British climate, take advantage of the women, and gobble up all the food. Then after the Brits basically won the war, the ‘Yanks’ just stepped in and took all the glory.
After twenty minutes of venting pent-up animosity, a broad smile pops on his face, and, the Fourth of July coup d’état is, “Hit-tis Yank Independence Day, itenit? Jus’ like everything else you Yanks do, tis all show and nowt substance.”
And that’s it as he walks away with a smug look on his face to bemusement of my fellow villagers’ watching the encounter from a safe, but still audible distance.
Hopefully, Emails From Across The Pond-Yank Independence Day is just on of many Emails from Across the Pond that will be coming to you from BBAC’s Guest Writer, George Glasser from Across The Pond.
By BBAC Guest Writer: George Glasser
Bio: Originally, a native of Florida, George Glasser is a widely published UK based investigative environmental journalist. He specialises in water quality issues, and is internationally noted for his work on fluorides in the water and in the environment from industrial pollution.
His investigative articles have been cited in scientific studies and by the US National toxicology Program’s toxicological review of fluorosilicates in 2001.
Presently, he has expanded the scope of his investigative work to cover other health related issues.
http://www.g-tigerclaw.com/
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