When we hear the phrase 'bad romance', a number of different things come to mind. The most
obvious one is Lady Gaga's ridiculously overplayed song by the same name. Then there are the bad romance novels I read to keep myself occupied during school breaks. We also have the 'bad romances' of our high school and adolescent days. There are some pretty bad romances in college, as well. But the point of tonight's blog is not to discuss the intricacies (or lack-thereof) of high school relationships, or the quality of Lady Gaga's music. The point of tonight's blog is to think about the bad romances that enter our lives in other ways, whether that be through a combination of cultures, ideas, religions, or nations.
History, and the religious writings that go with it, are full of bad romances. When the Greeks entered Judea and tried to impose their Hellenistic culture on the Jews, the result was a time of unrest and confusion. The results were even more disastrous when the Romans entered the scene. This time, instead of simply causing some mildly uncomfortable moments, the entire city of Jerusalem was demolished, the temple was razed, and the people were slaughtered. If that's not a bad romance, I don't know what is. The marriage of the two cultures caused so much strife that in the end the Jewish nation was obliterated until modern times. Bad romances were also numerous outside the scope of Judaism - just think of the meeting of the Native Americans and Europeans, or the conflicts between Muslims and Christians before the creation of the Spanish kingdom. History seems to be telling us when one culture meets another, the results are not pretty. And yet at the same time, my experiential wisdom seems to be telling me the exact opposite.
Does a clash of two cultures always have to be a 'bad romance'? I think it's safe to say Greek and American cultures are two vastly different things. I mean, I've pretty much been talking about it for the entire duration of this blog. And although my American culture feels so different from Greek culture, I feel strangely peaceful and welcome in this country. Although it's true I've entered Greece as a tourist and not as a member of an invading army, you'd think the combination of these two cultures would have added a bit more complication to my trip. But I haven't experienced any of this. The difference in cultures is present, but it hasn't reduced my experience in any way. In fact, the culture clash has enhanced my experience in Greece. It's made me so much more aware of my own cultural identity, my strengths and weaknesses, the habits I possess that either annoy or enchant the locals. My time in Greece has been no 'bad romance'. It's been the greatest romance of all, one that I hope will continue far beyond my return to PLU.
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