Thanksgiving has come and gone, but I am still thankful. And have been since early-2002. That’s when several Americans graciously helped us find our USA feet while Africa still held our souls.

Thank you for teaching me how to drop I to help U.

During my early years in the USA, I often made cultural blunders. One of my first offenses was to wonder why anyone would drive around in a chicken coop. Imagine my relief when I realized coop meant coupe.

Relief? Yes, because ever since 1963, I have wondered why the Beach Boys would sing about a little deuce chicken coop.

These behavioural, with a ‘u’, offences against social conventions made me colour, with a ‘u’. That’s right. I also forgot to drop the ‘u’ in words which require no ‘u’ on this side of the Atlantic.

As I became socialized (as in culture, not politics), I began to understand why Americans drop the u. It is because of I. No, not me, but I as in you.

America is about individualism, not collectivism. And so in the land of I, you are not important.

Until, that is, I need help. And then I turn to you.

Welcome to my side of the nonsense divide.