Have You Ever Wanted to be the Enemy?

Deoxyribonucleic acid (abbreviated DNA) is the molecule that carries genetic information for the development and functioning of an organism. DNA is made of two linked strands that wind around each other to resemble a twisted ladder — a shape known as a double helix.

I learned about this in grade school, then later in intermediate (middle) school, and finally in high school. It's one of those things that gets planted in(to) your brain early in life and then expands your thinking as more information is added to it. Kind of like when you learn

10 + _ = 17
or
18 / 9 = _ ​

Later you learn to substitute the underscores for an x or a y.

Then, as your knowledge increases, you get more complex numbers thrown at you such as x-squared or the square root of pi and your understanding of the foundational concept expands.

DNA is sometimes referred to as building blocks. It is looked at to examine and explain traits such as hair color, blood type, anatomical/physiological attributes/anomalies, or to record ancestry. The recording of ancestry among persons who are not adopted runs the gamut with regards to interest or passion. I suppose if you know what to expect, the outcome could be pleasant (or horrifying) in advance.

My ancestry goes as far back as my grandparents. On my mother's side of the family, I have seen photos of all four great grandparents. On my father's side of the family, the information is a tad bit sketchier. There was a great deal of illiteracy in his family and most of them spoke dialects of a language that was not the language of the country. Add to all of that, there was not too much interest in recording data for females; dates of death seemed more important than dates of birth.

My people were tribal in Europe. Some practices were universal among the tribe; i.e., preparation for marriage, preparation for burial, rites of passage. Some practices were regional as evidenced by cooking ingredients, observance of Sabbath keeping. And some practices were so at odds among the tribes that one would wonder if the tribes had ever been rooted together. Examples might be the naming a newborn after a person who is still alive or eating fried potato pancakes with yogurt.

Books can be written on tea or coffee consumption. In my youth, tea was drunk with meals from the Chinese restaurant. The restaurants even provided the tea bags. In our kitchen canisters, tea was always the smallest container and the bags most likely contained tea dust swept up from the floor that had long since passed its expiration date. Coffee was in a slightly larger canister, but it was also not used regularly. I grew up in a brief era of instant coffee. People drank it and didn't complain about it. Perking coffee grinds was for company. So glad that that had changed after the invention of MR COFFEE.

There are some predispositions that I have noticed in myself that don't match the tribal norms. I drink black tea without sugar, honey, cream, or lemon. I have had it served with dried fruit on the side (figs or dates) and rather like that. Also, when asked about a favorite carbohydrate, I tend to like pasta or rice over potatoes. Never really liked corn with the exception of creamed corn.

And cars? I have had my share of German and Japanese vehicles and currently own a new Italian car. So, what happens when you find yourself liking things that are made by, used, or beloved by the enemy? It reminds me of The Pulse of American Life: On Emily Post’s Evolving Legacy the first time I found Emily Post's book of Etiquette. The one on hand had a wartime supplement. This included information on recognizing the enemy at the dinner table. Noting variations in the practices of cutting food or changing the hands for utensil use. And, of course, noting the shapes of your guests' heads.

physiognomy [ fiz-ee-og-nuh-mee, -on-uh-mee ]

noun, plural phys·i·og·no·mies.

1. the face or countenance, especially when considered as an index to the character: a fierce physiognomy.
2. Also called anthroposcopy. the art of determining character or personal characteristics from the form or features of the body, especially of the face.
3. the outward appearance of anything, taken as offering some insight into its character: the physiognomy of a nation.

I do think about how I feel when someone assumes I am of a different race or tribe based on my appearance or word choice. I was once asked if I were adopted because I am Caucasian and speak Spanish. I chalked the inquiry off to the fact that the one who asked the question was a mutton-headed dolt.

Still and all, there are times when I have eaten foods of other nations or driven in the enemy's car or visited the enemy country (with the obligatory tourist or transit visa) and have wondered what life would be like if I were to linger.