Over an hour long conversation with my ladies tonight (Keiko and Yoshiko) i stumbled upon a significant and possibly life altering discovery - cultural egoism is natural and universal. We all really think that the way we do things is what is best (at least for us). What does this mean? ow can i really find it even mildly remarkable and worth taking up inches in cyberspace (yes inches, i am american)? Because it frees me of guilt. Yoshiko can complain about having to empty the bath and refill the water when staying in a western hotel with her husband. Its okay for Keiko to regret that the Michigan University shower heads weren't of the detachable variety, and that she spent a whole semester without a bath. Oh, and did you know that in some parts of Australia they banned singing in the shower because it adds an extra 2 to 3 minutes to your shower time? Crazy. Keiko decided that would make showering really miserable.
And I dont have to feel guilty that i dont like showering outside the tub or that it pisses me off that my bathroom floor is always wet. I dont have to worry about my recent dislike of communal baths or that i crave central heating about fifty times a minute. Its okay that i wish i could spread around Japan an appreciation for peanut butter and skim milk, if only it would make it easier for me to get my hands on. I'm allowed to think that my way of doing things is the right way for ME without insulting anyone else or their lifestyle. And this idea, in and of itself, is freeing. It doesn't mean i dont have an open mind, or that i refuse to try new things. It just means that I am not capable of constantly abandoning my own habits, culture, and upbringing, and embracing everything new as better. And I can live with that.
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