When I was on a bike trip in Ireland many years ago, it was pretty obvious that I was from the US, primarily because, unlike about 99 percent of the cyclists in Ireland at the time, I wore a helmet.

I was cycling through a remote area and came to a crossroads with signs pointing in about 7 different directions and there were two helmeted cyclists squabbling over a map. I said, I assume you're Americans, judging from your helmets, and was told in no uncertain terms that even though they were Americans they considered themselves Canadians first.

Thereafter, I was very careful to say I was from the US. It was only later that I learned the ambiguity of making even that statement. Not many people realize that our neighbor to the south is in actuality the United States of Mexico.

TEd


TEd