Over in Impromptus today, I mention the type of American to slap a Canadian maple leaf on his backpack while he’s abroad — especially while he’s in Europe. That was the type of American I went to school with, “over there.” A reader, a veteran of the U.S. military, sends the following note:
Dear Jay,
You talk about Americans who slap on the maple leaf in Europe. Well, I did. I sometimes feel ashamed, but mostly don’t. I spent two years stationed there in the early ’90s. I used the maple leaf for the most hedonistic of reasons: to meet chicks. Yeah, many were Euro-hairy creatures. And I always told them the truth afterward. Their reactions ranged from shock to rage.
Please note, I am not responsible for the expression “Euro-hairy creatures” (though I like it) (and them, often).