Popular kid on the block

I've lived overseas off and on for 20 years now and I can honestly say that this is the first time in my life that I am popular because I'm American. After Obama won my friend Carla said "I can finally hold my head high overseas and say I'm American." And I agreed. I have spent the last 20 years trying to hold my voice down in supermarkets, in shops, and on the subway so noone would know where I was from (particularly difficult when one's daughter, who at 5 was still innocent about speaking English in public and the secular nature of this country, would remark loudly once in awhile, "MOMMY, TELL ME THE STORY ABOUT BABY JESUS!"). As any American expat will know, this isn't because I was ashamed to be American. I just was sick of the stares and the sometimes unpleasant remarks people feel obliged to make to you as if you represented the government or the whole population (and sometimes because of the security risk).

When Obama was elected I received numerous e-mails, text messages, and phone calls from all kinds of Swedish friends and acquaintances who simply wanted to share in the wonder of his election. And I was gratified. I was only thrown once when my next-door neighbor called me (no, she didn't come and knock on my apartment door and say it in person) to congratulate me about "my man." Now, "man" in Swedish could either be husband or just man and I was totally thrown for a minute because I had no idea who she was talking about. I haven't been married for over 2 years. Did she know something I didn't? But then I realized she was talking about Obama, because she had seen the poster on the inside of my door.

Its weird suddenly being the popular kid on the block when you are used to being bullied, though. I don't quite know how to react. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I just know something is going to happen and everyone is going to say "We always knew you were a bunch of idiots!" I got a taste of this at a Democrats Abroad inauguration event last week where some Swedish guests were disparaging about the prayers before and after the speech, and disapproving of Obama's emphasis on national security. I felt like saying "if you don't understand the role of religion/spirituality in American culture or the importance of national security post 9-11 then you haven't understood why Obama won or what he is facing."

I have been saving up some more pithy observations but am trying to be better about being concise so I'll stop here. Comments welcome!