A Fourth of July Reflection

I sometimes think I'm not quite as patriotic as some Americans. I'm not jumping at the chance to head out to a park with thousands of other people to anxiously wait to watch things blow up, all set to the sound of war-like music that's supposed to make me really proud of American military might. Seriously--think about it. Most songs associated with patriotism also include lyrics that glorify our country's military history. It's not to say that I'm opposed to the military--far from it. I just wish the military was used for its actual intended purpose and not to make the rest of the world fear and hate Americans. I'm tired of big bangs, loud noises, beer gardens, and glorifying things I don't really believe in, and calling that American. I don't think it's the things that so many people associate with being American that make this country great.

As I look at my ESL class this summer, and I think about past classes made up almost entirely of immigrants to this country, sometimes I find myself wondering why so many people want to live here. I've been pretty down on America lately.

And then I really ponder it closely and I realize how lucky I am to live in this country.

I may not always agree with (or even like very much) the decisions that are made by the government, but I have the freedom to openly say I don't like those decisions. If I want to, I can stand on a street corner and yell, "George Bush is a dangerous idiot!" and no one would do anything more than look at me a little bit funny. Other people would probably even join me.

I think about the standard of living I expect. It's just a given that I'll have electricity, hot and cold running water (out of at least three faucets), three times the living space it would actually take to house two people, a refrigerator to keep food fresh (and a freezer for ice cream), and a stove to cook on (instead of a fire pit). If I added up all the technological gizmos in our apartment, I bet the number would be huge: two ipods, two TVs (with DVD players, etc.), multiple cameras, several computers, a microwave, and so forth. When I go to the grocery store, I can buy whatever food looks good to me, from all over the world. If I want fresh strawberries in January, I can have them. I can afford to drive a car. I can go to a bookstore and buy a stack of books on any subject I want to read about, even if I want to buy a smutty romance novel. I have enough spare time to put up decorations for any holiday I feel like decorating for. I have at least two days a week off from work and entirely to myself to plan. During those days off, I can go to movies, play in parks, swim in a swimming pool that is just for the people who live in my apartment complex, go to museums, travel to other places and stay in hotels.

I'm a woman, which in many places would mean I couldn't have the career I want to have. Here, I have always been openly encouraged to follow my dreams, pushed to go to school, and helped whenever I needed help to reach my goals. I can vote, I can participate in government, I can walk down a street without being completely covered and draped. I don't have to follow any set religion. In fact, I can explore and learn about any religion I want to learn about. I can believe whatever I want to believe. I can choose not to get married, even though I'm in my 30s, and I can instead decide to live with my boyfriend. And I'm not condemned by society.

I can go to sleep at night and not worry about waking up in the middle of the night because bombs are falling on my neighborhood. I can get up in the morning and not be hungry because there isn't anything for breakfast. I can walk down a sidewalk with relative security and feel safe.

And let's not forget what a beautiful place this is. I can see snow-capped mountains when I drive to work in the morning. When I go on a vacation, I can choose a tropical paradise, an exotic bayou, a red and yellow autumn paradise, a snowy wonderland, a sunny beach, or any other type of climate and scenery I could possibly imagine. I could move to any of these places if I wanted to. I'm not limited in my choices to one small neighborhood.

That's not to say that I don't work for my luxuries. Part of being American (if you're doing it right) is not being afraid to work for the things you want in life. I'm allowed to work to get what I want. I'm not automatically born into a social class and expected to be content with my lot in life. I think part of the problem with Americans is that they've got the words "right" and "privilege" confused. Many of the things we consider rights and take for granted in our daily lives are really great privileges anywhere else in the world. And luxury items like cars aren't something we have a right to have: they're privileges. I'm not willing to complain about high gas prices when in so much of the world people walk to get where they need to go.

So, today, on the day the rest of the country is celebrating Independence Day (and the glorious military history that enabled this holiday), I've decided to have a Thanksgiving II celebration. I'm going to be thankful for all the privileges I have, all because I was born in the right place in the world to have them. I'm not going to go out and listen to patriotic music, salute the flag, and watch things blow up. I'm going to stay at home with my boyfriend, who I'm allowed to choose to love rather than being told to love, in our beautiful apartment, and enjoy living where we do and be grateful for all that I have.