I feel like touching on a wide and limitless subject.... My own ignorance and prejudice. I grew up thinking of people in unflattering stereotypes which I've learned are always wrong. For example, I thought the Italian people were all vicious criminals, Asians only loved male children, Germans are Nazis, and the English are either red faced, sweaty, pompous bullies or dry humorless stiff upper lip types. I could go on but I'm sure I have disgraced myself enough. At the risk of maudlinity (is that a word?) I've come to enjoy this thread because it daily illustrates how wrong my pigeon holing people is. You all appear to be caring, intelligent people whose self deprecating humor and affection for each other, even those with perennially soiled drawers, is heartening. I also enjoy the idea that although you are all UK citizens (I think) you also identify fairly strongly with the area you come from, in the same way the Native Americans I've worked with are of course Native Americans, but more importantly Flatheads, Northern Arapaho, Cheyenne or whatever tribe they belong to. In their cases the tribe is secondary to the family. I wish more people in this country could learn these lessons and that I could learn them better....
