hungryI may be glad to be out of there, but living here has made it clear to me just how very Midwestern I am. I still haven't figured out the details of culture around here, but it's certainly highlighting the quirks of the one I left.
If someone needs a room, it's mandatory that I offer it. And when I have a guest- no matter how little lead time I had to prepare- it is my duty to provide a full meal, and using a restaurant only pushes the obligation for me to cook to some later time in the visit. I can't decline to provide any of this: if they need the space, they need the space, and it is my duty to meet that need. The space I provide needs to be uncompromisingly restful, and only limitations of space- like, say, lack of beds- is justification to not meet that standard. It's unconditional- it's nice to hope that I'd get the same treatment if I needed somewhere to stay, but I cannot expect it- after all, the cultural standards I was raised with are hardly universal.
As a result, my poorly meeting basic standards leaves guests impressed, and I still haven't figured out why. Cooking a meal is a basic expectation, although it seems to be an oddly rare skill. I really should be And my tendency to get stressed out and then sleep in is quite unacceptable.
So I guess these are the basic tenets of standard Midwestern hospitality, and I still haven't figured out what the local expectations are.
