American Chaos

At 250 it seems the country is constantly dealing with ridiculous chaos. But this is not what American chaos should be. Can we learn a lesson from the foreign soccer fans showing us America through their eyes? The eyes we once had - most likely - 250 years ago? Going crazy over Ranch dressing and Boston beer and Route 66 gas stations? Our America!

THIS is what American chaos should be:

My closet strewn with clothes before the wedding.

Or the dance at the wedding when the new best song comes on and the neighborhood kid - who NEVER dances - jumps up from a table with his hands in the air, singing the lyrics at the top of his lungs; and everyone- everyone - follows and your feet get stepped on a gazillion times but you don't even care.

Or when crazy Aunt Pat makes a toast with the megaphone she brings to every family wedding and the applause and cheering is so loud you might as well be at a college basketball game.

Or - YES - the fervor of the Elite 8...or the pandemonium of the Final 4.

Or, hey, we can dream - Addison Street as it fills with old people, young people, gay folks, straight folks, Democrats, Republicans all in Cubs jerseys because for God's sake "the CUBS WIN! the CUBS WIN!" is being belted out through all of Chicago. And suddenly the north siders are friends with the south siders - like in New York right now. Where everybody is now becoming best friends and smiling and opening doors for each other.

Or like when we made new friends in a teeny town outside of Nashville when cousin Kerry in the middle of our bus trip - got the message from the doctor that the golf ball tumor on her brain was NOT cancer and she screamed it to the entire bus. So the bus driver stopped right there - in front of Ernie's Meat Plus Three restaurant and people poured out to see what was going on. And we all screamed for joy and hugged each other and hugged strangers. "No cancer" tears streaming down our cheeks.

THIS is the American Chaos we want. The birthday party red, white and blue. A couple wins, a crazy dance, friends on both sides of town, Ranch dressing spilling over, a brain with no cancer: wired, crazed, in love with all the possibility someone dreamed 250 years ago.