Ordinary Generosity
I love that European World Cup tourists aren’t just visiting New York or LA. Most Americans don’t even like those overhyped cities anyway. Instead, these tourists are dropping straight into the middle of the country.
They’re experiencing Waffle House at one in the morning in Alabama. They’re stopping at a Buc-ee’s out in rural Missouri. They’re spending nine hours straight driving across Texas.
Some are even hanging out at college frat houses at Auburn. The funniest part is that the locals usually have no clue who these tourists are. Nobody really marketed the World Cup in these small towns.
So the stories hitting social media right now are amazing. We’re seeing crazy levels of regular American hospitality. Restaurant owners are driving Europeans to games because they can’t find an Uber.
Deli owners are giving British tourists free lunch just because they traveled so far. Local firefighters in Alabama are giving people station tours and handing out free t-shirts.
This overwhelming kindness is the real America. Don’t watch the news or focus on the big cities. This ordinary generosity is what matters.
This welcome is shocking these tourists in the best way. It happens because normal people live by decent values every day.
When our values hit real life, they actually mean something. That’s why we’re proud.