Loss of identity

As a born and bred Aussie who’s made the switch and moved to the USA, a certain sense of loss was bound to happen.

In one sense, Australia and America are pretty much the same place – America’s got more people and as a result is thus busier, while Australia is equally laid back.  It’s plain to see that each value is not restricted to either place, but a general sense of ‘this is what we are’ does pervade both nations.

So who am I?  I’m a laid back joker.  Where am I?  Stressville.  What can I do about it?  If I take things more seriously, do I lose who I am?  Do I lose my veneer of multiple levels of humour (haha, I spelt it the PROPER way, with a U) just to fit in?  I have a son now, who’s going to see both qualities in his parents.  Which qualities will he adapt?

I want the boy to learn to be a joker, while at the same time maintaining my wife’s work ethics.  I don’t know how well he can achieve that, since neither of us can really do both either.  Knowing my luck, he’ll take my laid back view of the world, and take my wife’s sense of humour.

If that happened, then the poor little bugger is doomed already, and he isn’t even a year old yet!