The Fabuleous Fifties

Rand Tour

My Great Big American Trip Day 7.

On wednesday I mostly stayed home to finish my article for the Dutch Vara Gids. It had not gone well, the day before. But this day I started early, set my brain to Dutch (which you shouldn't try at home without adult supervision) and started thinking up stuff under the shower. I think it turned out well, but we'll see.

That evening Craig and Clizia took me out to diner with their neighbour Bob and his wife. Bob and his wife are two real Americans, who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and unfortunately strained a couple of brain muscles doing that. And I mean that in a loving way, because they were really great, easy to get along with. It's just their opinions I don't really care about.

Halfway through the meal Bob's wife asked me what I thought of Obama. I answered that I didn't think she'd want to hear. She said I was free to say what I thought and I replied with my usual answer: "All of Europe wants Obama to stay." Now, over at the Daily Show that reply got me smiles and a free cup of coffee. But here, it didn't really do well. Bob's wife looked at me as if she had just stepped into something bad. Or rather, she looked as if I had stepped into something bad and cleaned it with her dress. Bob took over and started grilling me about my socialist ideas (which in the rest of the world we call 'just a tad left of the middle). He further endeared himself to me by asking me if I had ever read Ayn Rand and started quoting from it to me. Now, I am a member of several comics newsgroups where quoting Ayn Rand gets you suspended, but Bob was not to be stopped. Or persuades otherwise. I ended up discussing with him for th right to have a different opinion. Which he gave me, so I guess he is not all bad. And Craig and Clizia have a good relationship with him, so I tried very hard not to offend. We left the restaurant smiling.

But if you are reading this, Bob. I was right and you are wrong.