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The deadline is approaching. The editor is breathing down my neck and her eyes are burning with fury. It just hit me, like a speeding car hits a badger on the highway; writer’s block has taken a firm grip of me. All creative ambitions have been thrown overboard as I count the words while they painfully, slowly tick upwards. What should I write about? I’ve been asking myself for days. The format is painfully allowing, giving me no direction of thought. The possibility of falling in the uniqueness trap is wide open. The uniqueness trap, as I define it, is when everyone tries to be or do something unique and ends up doing almost the same thing as everyone else because they all followed the same train of thought. I have for this reason just now decided to not even try to be unique but just write a little something about what I’ve gained from the time spent here in Champaign. I’ve been here in the US for almost two semesters now, and I have learned tons about myself. For the first time in my life I have been looking and acting somewhat unique, being from Sweden and all. In Sweden, blending in is almost a religion, far from (but moving quickly towards) American-style individualism. Being here has changed me in many ways; for one, I kind of like American football! I also see the merits of Americans’ positive and always present enthusiasm, their friendliness and the point of polite conversation. Sweden needs more of all that and I’ll try to take some of that with me to Sweden. I guess that the year I’ve spent here has made me a more unique Swede. Hopefully my country will still accept me when I go back, despite being somewhat changed. |