Freewriting: explaining a custom

Before you read further in this chapter, take out a pencil or pen and a piece of paper and do this exercise. Imagine that you have just met a person from the Australian outback who knows little about American civilization or culture. This person asks you to explain a popular American custom — a sport, a holiday, an example of "polite manners," a typical entertainment activity, or a political practice. Your object is to explain the custom as clearly as you can. Since you do not want to appear foolish, you try to make American behavior appear as reasonable as possible. Write for ten minutes, explaining this custom.