America, I Thank You

~ beetleypete

Not for the first time, I have to send my thanks to my American followers and readers. Whenever I check the stats, views from America are always much higher than from anywhere else, even my home country of Britain. On most days, American readers exceed everyone else by at least 25%, sometimes more. Though the UK is always second, and Canada is often a close third. Sharing the same (almost) language helps, I know. But my appreciation is no less for that.

When it comes to comments, Britain still leads the figures, but only just. A very close second come the comments from all my American friends, followed by many from Asia, and the Indian sub-continent.

I have never been to America. I am old enough to have had some issues with US foreign policy over the years, which at one time actually stopped me ever intending to visit that country. I have protested against the Vietnam War in my teens, and raged against US interference in everywhere from Nicaragua to Grenada, Syria, and Iraq. But blogging has shown me just how diverse America is, and how so many Americans have embraced my blog posts; whether about my dog Ollie, film reviews, or  photos of historical English locations.

The truth is plain to see. Without my American friends, (Cindy, Chuq, Kim, Elizabeth, Theo, Doug, John, David, Susanne, Frank, GP Cox, Lara, Jennie, Teagan, John Rieber, Rachel, and so many more) my blog would only be half of what it is today. Many of you have become very close friends, albeit online. We exchange emails, discuss personal matters away from the blog, and share thoughts and ideas that are surprisingly similar.

In old age, I have come to know Americans, in a way I never thought possible before. And through them, I have started to understand the huge size and diversity of that country. A country I will probably never visit now, for many reasons. From Old Dixie, to New England. Florida, the Pacific north-west, California, Nevada, and Arizona. There you are, my new friends.

It wouldn’t be the same without you.

Best wishes to everyone in those fifty states. May we always be friends.

67 thoughts on “America, I Thank You”

  1. As a Brit ex-pat with an American wife, I am glad to have discovered your site and your writings – after I left the UK back in 2016. I miss the country – well, not the politics – from the parts I lived in like Sussex, Kent and Norfolk…On the Ball City. I miss our last home, Wales most of all. I’ve also lived in Canada which might have skewed my view of the USA and allowed me to see all sides of everything.

    Look forward to more great posts.

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  4. Pete, I’m a Californian, and your blog is, I think, what the world needs. Each of us need a glimpse into other lives and cultures, so we can learn the only real differences are in location. I love your blog! I get a tiny taste of your view of your side of the World, and information from your followers from where they are, as well. I regularly disagree with some of the things our “leaders” do, but I don’t get the nuances of the “leaders” of other countries, either. “Watch and learn” are the key words. Thank you for this thing you share. Hey, Ollie!

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  7. I am not surprised at all Pete that you have many fans in America, including me. Your blog connects me to a distant land and your culture which you express so beautifully with history, photos and commentary. Of course Ollie was the one who hooked me early 🙂

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  8. The fact that you have issues with (some) American politics [an attitude I share and can well understand] is all the more a reason to come over here and share your views and insights. Contact with people from abroad and their ideas is needed hereabouts.

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    1. That’s true, Pit. Unfortunately, by the time I had altered my opinion sufficiently, I no longer really had the funds to finance a worthwhile trip. And then I got a dog. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  10. Thanks for the recognition, Pete…it’s interesting that you mentioned all of the different parts of the country, because while we are all tied together, we are all so different in so many ways…especially food!

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    1. I sometimes sit and think about just how big America is, John. People over there might drive 50 miles to the nearest large town to go shopping, whereas driving 130 miles from here to London is too much of a chore for me to even consider. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  11. You are welcome Pete. Reading your blog is always a pleasure. I’ve always felt that if I ever visited England again I could ring you up and meet for a pint. Feel free to do the same if you ever get here. Best from Florida.

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  13. Thank you for recognizing the people of my country. I sure it is safe to say that we are here at your site because you are friendly as well as a friend – and then there’s the fact that you entertain us!
    Yes, we are quite a bit alike.

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  14. I.too, find readers from all over the world outnumber those from the UK. When I was on twitter there were more followers from our shores but I have stopped using it for a while. There were so many of us using it to make sales rather than having interesting conversations. As it is folk seem to prefer my poems to my other posts. I’m not such a deep thinker as you are. Vive la difference!

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    1. They certainly have a big population. When I worked as an EMT in London, I found the Americans I met to be two distinct types. Half were very nice and respectful; friendly, and interested in the history and culture. The other half came across as brash, entitled, and saying that everything was better in America. But on balance, they were much nicer than most British people I encountered every day. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  18. It is always nice to meet new friends and fellow bloggers online, Americans or not. I always appreciate how they contribute to my blog including you of course Pete. This post is a nice tribute to your American blogger friends.

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  22. A very nice recognition, Sir Pete… and honestly, our country tending to carry the Big Stick along with all the other occasional “good” we manage to stumble out to the world, there’s no lack of people standing in line to be critical of what we do.. hell, we are critical to our own selves for the same reasons (current trends included). We’re good at free market capitalism… but no better than anyone else when it comes to politics and policy… good or bad.

    If I may.. a little story of my trip to Scotland. In 1972-1973 I was stationed at the then UN base in Keflavik, Iceland… which also served as the Reykjavik International Airport, the military side administered by the U.S Navy, whose mission in those days was to send P3 Orion aircraft aloft to drop sonar buoys along the Norwegian Sea to keep track of Soviet subs out of Murmansk. Us Air Force guys were a detachment assigned to keep secure a couple alert fighter aircraft that would launch following notification from Norway radar defense of any Soviet strategic bombers also from Murmansk, heading south presumably to Cuba. All in all, it was simply the old Cold War cat & mouse.. Soviets testing our defenses and us tracking their intentions.. with the rest of the world unaware.

    After a few months of being stationed there I decided, with a buddy, to take a package deal trip from our local travel office, a three day R&R to Scotland. I think our first night was in Renfrew… and then we just traveled up the road to Glasgow and Edinburgh, with a side trip to Loch Lomond. We rented your average VW beetle.. with the steering on the right side. A couple sisters from our base, dependents of a Navy officer, also made the trip and signed on for the VW ride, which in itself was kinda cool having a bit of female companionship….. without “the companionship”. No need to tell you of the interesting experience in driving in the UK… left hand manual shift, left side of the road… quite the challenge. This R&R trip was left to ourselves.. not organized bus tours. Essentially it was just a price break for air and hotel.

    Perhaps much like your historical affinity for America, Pete, I was in my early 20’s and a huge history nut and with total respect for British history, the World Wars… and especially the people. After all, our two countries are best buds. Honestly, when we got to Scotland I was in total awe. Now.. I knew that Scotland was not England.. but that didn’t matter at all. I was there on the same island.. in the UK that up till that point I had only read about in books. My buddy and I went across the street from our hotel to a local pub. We were made as Americans… and military from our haircuts, right away. The older guys at the bar shuffled aside to offer us some space. I am NOT a beer drinker of any sort.. but those gentlemen offered to buy us a round of that dark warm stuff… and I toasted and drank to be polite. About a half empty glass later an older Scot gentleman next to me turned to leave and accidentally bumped my arm and some froth sloshed over my glass. In spite of my affirmations that all was well, the gentleman insisted on re-filling my glass (Ugh). At least those fellows in that pub did well in giving me a positive experience of Scotland.. which I naturally assumed included the demeanor of all the people in the UK. 🙂

    Wish I could help you visit America, old buddy. I’m sure with all the American friends you have you could easily save hotel/motel money with everyone putting you up across the country.
    In the end we’re just all fellow human beings… as the fellow with the cigar once said… separated by a common language. 🙂

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    1. Thanks for adding your personal story Doug. I know Scotland very well, and it is not really anything like England. I also hate ‘warm beer’, and the Scots drink something called ‘Heavy’, which I like even less. But some of their food is great, Edinburgh is a city I would be happy to live in, and Loch Lomond is a marvel As for driving on the ‘wrong side’, try driving a right hand drive manual shift car in France, on the right hand side of the road, unable to see past any vehicle in front of you. That makes overtaking like Russian Roulette! 🙂
      Best wishes, my good blogging friend.
      (And your quote? It wasn’t Churchill, but was said earlier, by both George Bernard Shaw, and Oscar Wilde. Winston might just have stolen it.)
      Pete.

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  23. Aw Pete, such kind words for your American friends! Thank you back! It’s been fun following you on your walks with Ollie in the beautiful English countryside and commiserating with you over our remarkably similar weather! Here’s to many more years of blogging and its contribution to international friendship! 😁🐱

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  24. I have never been to the USA either, probably the closest was working in a little British Airways business lounge at Heathrow with two US flights going out each day. Our American passengers were always polite and good to talk to and occasionally made very enlightening comments so I knew we were thinking on the same wavelength. We also often meet interesting US visitors when we’re away in this country. I think my stats show much the same – especially if you include the Realtors I have aquired lately. I am going over to have a look…

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    1. Yes, Janet. we have to include those trying to sell us a foreclosure in Tampa. But in general, the American bloggers are loyal, supportive and engaged. And that’s very welcome. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  27. Lovely appreciative post, Pete! And I confess to not checking out my stats very often at all, but I’ve just had a glance, and find that visitors from the US are in the majority!

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  28. What a lovely, thoughtful post… it’s rare anymore anyone bothers to share such feelings. One visit I made to your beautiful country, July 2000 I stayed in a converted mews loft outside Chester. I’d picked up a copy of the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper on a connection as it happened to be the 225th anniversary of our independence. The very kind couple I stayed with were going to a “Good Riddance to the Colonies” party and asked if they could take the paper with them. I gladly handed it over.
    It was a little hard adjusting to the not total darkness, the latitude doesn’t allow it that time of year!

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    1. It gets very dark in Beetley. Chester is much further north, (200 miles away) so stays brighter in the summer. It’s a lovely place to stay though, full of history. 🙂
      I am very pleased that you liked the sentiments i this post.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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