Never Retire: Trump's America Could Learn So Much From Spain, But It Won't

Spain’s transition to democracy occurred between 1975 and 1978 after the death of dictator Francisco Franco. It blows my mind to think—as I prepare to turn 50 this year—that I am older than democracy in Spain.

So—and tell me if I am overstating the significance of this—but it’s pretty wild to think that any Spaniard who is older than me that you pass on the street lived under Franco. Any Spaniard my age or younger by a couple or even a few decades could have parents who lived in a dictatorship. Every time I think about this (like right now), I question if I am doing the math correctly.

This is not something many Americans think much about. It never really occurred to me until a little ways into the planning process for moving here.

I have always wondered why Bruce Springsteen—especially over the last few decades—has more popularity in Europe (particularly Spain and Italy) than the United States. While I always knew that it had a lot to do with “politics,” I never went deep enough to realize that things Springsteen says when he wades into the sociopolitical cesspool must resonate deeply with Spaniards.