We have been fortunate enough to travel in many countries over the years, and I have always found the U.S. Dollar was welcomed, if not sought after, universally. In Egypt, it was gratefully snatched from my hand when offered as a tip. In China, stores and restaurants did their best to make change in American currency. When I was a GI in South Korea, the $ dollar was a superior form of exchange. I never found a country that would not welcome the American “Green Back.”
I must admit that there was too much pride involved in carrying even a modest sum of U.S. currency all those years. Likely, I was a witness to what other people live with, and without, and I did not always appreciate the situations others are born into.
Finally, in September 2024, for the first time, my offer of a tip in U.S. currency was rejected. We were having dinner at a friendly pub in central Dublin, and when the bill arrived, the waitress presented a portable card reader. I paid with a credit card, then realized there was no gratuity included, so I asked the waitress if I could give a tip in U.S. currency, since we had spent most of our Euros. She smiled and said, “No worries.” I was taken aback and wanted to ensure my American accent was not getting in the way of effective communication, so I asked again. She politely told us that Euros would be acceptable, but otherwise “no worries.” There was no advantage for her in having American currency, and it may have been a disadvantage in the modern Republic of Ireland. It was time for me to adjust my worldview. I was too focused on my “tribe” rather than the changing cultural situation around me.