By Louise Mathews
As the summer of 2026 passes into the rear-view mirror, I want to remember an unexpected occurrence that made me very happy.
The World Cup brought many thousands of visitors to the United States, and their reactions to everything from cowboy hats to Buc-ee’s brisket were fantastic. Before national teams started elimination rounds, I could open up YouTube or any news website and see a plethora of positive stories about the United States. I did not see any negative posts.
Perhaps our guests had been misled by their home news media to think we are all ugly Americans suffering in a national socialist dystopia, but these football manic tourists from Europe, Asia, and South America seemed to be overwhelmingly joyous at the marvels of America.
There is the famous Fred from Germany who lauded the South. I could not help but smile at the antics and vocalizations of the Tartan Army first in Boston and then in Miami. They gave a new persona to the humble traffic cone which could end up on any statue’s head. The Norwegians who rowed their way up an escalator should have been given a prize for creativity as well as muscle.
Folks from other lands could not stop praising Walmart, Buc-ees, Costco, Target, McDonalds, any Texas barbecue joint, and Waffle House. They raved over free refills on their soft drinks and sweet tea. We, who take the behemoths of capitalism for granted, can only ask ourselves if we have been missing something, or if the food in their home countries is really that bad.
This reminded me of the story of Boris Yeltsin’s 1989 visit to a Texas grocery store to see how the average American shopped. At that time, Yeltsin was a reform-minded member of the Soviet hierarchy.
Later, after the breakup of the Soviet Union, he was the first president of post-USSR Russia. Mr. Yeltsin arrived with the expectation that the store would not be as good as those in his collectivized country. Because the visit was unplanned, Mr. Yeltsin soon realized that the quantity and quality of goods in the store, which far exceeded anything he had ever seen before, was not a staged event. One aide who was present with him during the trip said that “the last vestige of Bolshevism collapsed inside.” Mr. Yeltsin later instituted many capitalist reforms in his country in hopes of bettering his people’s standard of living.
I was also reminded of the time, 29 years ago, that my husband and I went to the People’s Republic of China to bring home our daughter. As part of the process, we had to visit the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou. There was nothing special going on that day other than for us as this was the last task we had to complete before getting on a Boeing 747 and flying home. Hundreds of people milled around outside the consulate. I only could think that they were hoping to get inside for a visa or immigration appointment. Our small group just sailed in through the zigzag corridors to a pleasant room where we completed the necessary paperwork.
I remember how moved I was to see Old Glory flying above the high consulate wall. At that moment, I appreciated the gift of having been born in this country more than I ever had before and possibly since. At the time, we thought every American should go to another country to appreciate our own.
As part of our local July 4th celebrations, USCB presented Benjamin Franklin, reincarnated by GregRobin Smith. “Dr. Franklin” noted that the blessings of liberty and our own industry have made us the wealthiest and healthiest country in the history of the world. He was not referring just to the billionaires that some politicians and influencers demonize; he referred to Americans as a whole. Our freedoms to create, to innovate, to choose our own paths in life have made us a beacon for the world.
In this 250th year of our independence, the world came to us. For a few weeks this summer, I was continuously reminded of the blessings of America. Seeing the wonders with which we live every day through eyes that had never before seen a superstore or Beaver Nuggets put a big smile on my face and a lot of gratitude in my heart.
Louise Mathews retired from a career in community colleges and before that, theater. A 13-year come-here in Beaufort, she has been a dingbatter in North Carolina and an upstater from New York.