I don't know about other areas of America or the world for that matter, but in Northern Minnesota one of the best excuses for me when I make a mistake is: " Please forgive me, I'm Norwegian." This works quite well because I am able to defer the focus from me, as an individual, to a cultural issue. Not many of the folks I work with are that familiar with Norwegian behavior. So my coworkers associate all my; goof ups, brainless acts and numerous mistakes as typical of Norwegians.
I'm in a wonderful position. I can do no wrong, as my behavior is all genetic. Luckily, my coworkers never met my Norwegian bachelor farmer uncles, who were smart, creative, hard working and took ownership for their actions. Occasionally I struggle with a little guilt because of this deception, but as I have grown older I've learned to ignore these bouts by immersing myself in useless repetitive behaviors such as; mumbling silly phrases or making funny faces.
I imagine that I am doing a disservice to all the Norwegians in the world, and perhaps to the motherland, but I never have been very good about looking at the bigger picture.
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