Wishing you a Happy 4th of July with a Note from the President of the AWC Zurich, Eleanor Paunovic, read by Ellen Delman, Parliamentarian of the AWC Zurich, at the 4th of July party in Zurich.
Greetings from the Opera House!
While I would rather be celebrating the 4th of July with all of you, my American friends, I am performing in two operas today.
Interestingly, the one this afternoon is a modern re-imagining of Mozart’s the Marriage of Figaro. It has been updated to fit into our current political climate of “Woke Culture”. Susanna, the maid, becomes a symbol of all that’s wrong in a male-dominated society. But where the setting is updated, the story hasn’t been changed. Susanna was a powerful advocate for women’s rights long before Woke was a thing. She ends up shaming the haughty Count, and he goes back to his wife with his tail between his legs. Her story is a relevant today as it ever was.
Now, however, social injustices are a part of our daily narrative, and with talking comes understanding and change! I am proud to be celebrating a country where change can and does happen! We are making progress in so many areas – from Me, Too to Black Lives Matter and Pride, and so many others. I am proud to be a Citizen of the United States, and to represent our country here in our beautiful adopted land.
And when people ask me the difficult questions, I tell them that sometimes it’s “two steps forward, one step back”. But I do believe that America, and our strong Democracy, will always do its best to do the right thing. And remember, the only way change will continue to happen is by all of us continuing to vote for what we believe in.
On another note, we have so many wonderful traditions that are specific to America, and we are lucky to be able to practice them here in Switzerland! From Halloween and Thanksgiving, to Memorial Day and July 4th, you can find a celebration somewhere in “Der Schweiz”.
Between the American International Club and the American Women’s Club, we’ve got you covered! So please have a great afternoon, remembering the great country of our origin, and thanking providence that we found each other here, thousands of miles from home. Continue to be good ambassadors, and God Bless America!
