My Home

Warning: Happy-go-lucky-US-Patriotism Follows. Don't read it if it'll make you upset. It's my blog...so there.

Excuse me while I say something unpopular:

I love my country.

I know, I know. I shouldn't love my life, I should be disenchanted with the status quo and my lot in it. As a young person I should be disgusted with the world my parents created (and I'm not saying I'm not a little ticked off at that whole Social Security mess you guys left. Thanks Pop.), but despite it all - I love this place.

I love working and living side by side with people from all over the world. I love that my neighbors to the right of me are Jewish, to the left of me are half Muslim half Buddhist, above me are Christian and that I happen to be a pagan married to an atheist. I adore that as I walk down the street, through my supermarket, in the hardware store, I will hear at least three different languages being spoken and probably have fifteen different people smile and say hello to me. And I'll smile and say hello back.

I know there is a wide disconnect between poor and rich. But this is only my second year where I have made enough income to lift me, barely, over the poverty line and I'm always amazed at what just a little stick-to-it-tiveness has wrought for myself and my husband. We worked long hours, in crummy jobs and now we're both taking another step up to having those things that fill out the little stereo-typical dream: A home of our own, the time and means to raise a family, enough money to not be worried when the bills come and a little extra to fund hobbies and the little things that make life a little more happy.

Sure I'm still a little assistant and he's just a petty officer (1st class) but when we look back to when he was wearing green bars instead of black and I was dressing in maroon cowboy shirts with not-so-matching "vests" it's really rewarding. I like the fact that I can live anywhere I want, do anything I want. I can go to school anywhere in the world even though my Mom never graduated and my Dad isn't part of some huge secret fraternity. I like that.

I like reading any book I want too from Uncle Tom's Cabin to The Turner Diaries (which actually I haven't read, but I could, if I ever wanted too).

And I'm not saying I wouldn't find that anywhere else in the world, I know I would in most countries. But I still like it here. Because it's my home and I like the special parts that make it my home. I enjoy saying the pledge of allegiance. I enjoy it with or without "God" (I personally prefer saying God because 1. That's the way I learned it when I was three and 2. I think "God" is a good all encompassing word for anything divine or wonderful.) I'll say it with the word "Duck" if you want as long as it's still the Pledge to my flag, our flag. I like our flag too. If you feel you need to burn it to express yourself...that's fine. I don't mind. As long as you don't mind if I walk away and fail to listen. It's a pretty flag and it means a lot to me. But I get how sometimes you need something big to make people pay attention. It's showmanship and that's fine.

I like our songs. I like our anthem. I like listening to it, I like singing it. I like that it was hard to learn and I'm proud that our kindergarten class worked so hard and were so proud when we finally got it right. It makes me happy to sing it and it makes me happy to think about that night when he walked out on the deck of that ship and saw that big-huge flag flying. I like thinking about the women who stayed up days sewing it, I like thinking about how brave everyone there was to stand up and say "We may lose, but at least we'll lose our way." I like knowing that's where I came from and that my children will get to hear these same stories and know that that's where they came from too. We're not alone and we can do anything if we get up and try.

Again I know I shouldn't be content. Apparently I should hate our government, hate the war, hate our president. I don't. I won't say who I voted for (Of course I voted for Inoye for Senator...duh.) but he's our President now and I respect that. I respect him. In a few years someone else will be the President and I'll respect them too. Even if I didn't vote for them. I respect our government too - sure there are things that could be changed, but I know everyone is working hard to do what they think is right, and that's what matters to me. Things can only get better that way.

What I'm saying is this, I love my home. I was born here, I was raised here, for my whole life this has been my home. The people I live with are my family, no matter where they came from. I like it here. It makes me happy. I like what my home stands for, I like what it reminds us of everyday.

I love my country.