Watch What You Say

Cultural sensitivity is my thing.  It need be if you call these Hawaiian Islands home.  Working in twenty-eight countries with diverse ethnic groups means I best be able to think on my feet, learn the language, and do the dance.  Credibility and fluency with locals is a big deal.

So, I’m in Worland, Wyoming amidst cowboys, antelopes, and pickup trucks.  (For the record, I too, drive an F-150.)  Worland is a somewhat remote town.  Come to think of it, everywhere in Wyoming is off the beaten path!  After Sunday worship, key elders of the church, good friends, graciously take me to the local Mexican restaurant.  When asked my beverage of choice, I merely respond, “I’ll have a Coke”.

This great nation of ours is divided on what to call carbonated drinks.  A good chunk of the country terms it “Soda Pop”, “Pop”, or just “Soda” as do we in the islands.  A major portion simply refer to all soft drinks by the generic moniker “Coke”.  

Now it gets dicey.  Worland is a long time home to the Pepsi Cola Company.  One of my hosts recently retired from Pepsi!  Immediately after I casually requested a “Coke”, my mind flashed prodded by their good natured protests.  

Oh well, chalk up another cultural faux pas.  Thank God they are gospel guys who practice forgiveness.  I think from now on I’ll creatively use the name for carbonated soft drinks commonly heard in New Zealand; “Fizzy Drinks”.  Nobody would know what to do with that one.