I am patriotic.

Living abroad has made me think a lot about what it means to be American this year. I’ve had many conversations this year with others as the token American and had to listen to all the bad things America is doing/has done, without resisting because you already know that people who only want to talk about this won’t listen anyway. I’ve also been introduced as “this is Madeline, she’s American.” True, but not necessary in an introduction, in my opinion. 

I used to think of being patriotic as a bad thing, as in ’merica – fuck yeah! or macho military men who think questioning anything makes you a traitor. 

It seemed to me that being patriotic was almost a bad thing amongst some of my most ‘liberal’ friends. But now that it’s the 4^th of July and no one cares (not that I expect them to) I’m a little surprised that I’ll “miss it.” I’m hosting a small BBQ in the park tomorrow to celebrate, and making the playlist has made me a little sentimental. I even caught myself singing “You’re a grand old flag” while cutting potatoes for salad. ..I mean whaa? 

But I realized I’ve changed my mind about what I think it means to be patriotic. It is not blind allegiance to the red white and blue, and it is not thinking America is #1 (there’s plenty of proof that we’re not, but that’s besides the point). I believe that America does have the potential to be the best country in the world. We have the resources, the manpower, and an entrepreneuial spirit. What being patriotic means to me is being proud of my country’s successes and mourning its failures, while demanding it do better in the future. I love my country and the opportunities it has afforded me, and I believe in its potential. 

So while I know there’s a lot of work to be done, I’m proud to be an American and I’m no longer ashamed to say that I am patriotic.