Friday, July 5, 2013

how to be proud to be an american

As much as I appreciate who I am and where I come from, I wouldn't necessarily call myself patriotic. I'm grateful for all this and know how untrue these stereotypes are... but, well, Jeff Daniels articulated my reasoning better in this Newsroom monologue:

Being abroad--viewing the United States from a less biased perspective, through a European lens--has made me a lot more critical. Then again, I'll never forget the kindness I received driving across our beautiful country. I was madly missing everything about the familiarity of home just one month ago. In these past two weeks, I've adored every moment at my friend's wedding, at my parent's house, at my favorite tourist traps. And, my, oh my, was I thrilled to celebrate the Fourth of July on an American beach:
Yesterday, on our Independence Day, I had a lazy afternoon in the sun, barbecued in the backyard, watched fireworks from the porch, and enjoyed this movie with some of my very best friends. I woke up this morning overwhelmed with how lucky we are for all of it. I'm not proud to be an American because this is the greatest country in the world, but I couldn't be more proud of the friendly spirit, adventure, and imagination I know and love to be American; not to mention the irreplaceable opportunity I have to express and share my opinions with you here. Happy belated birthday, America. Thanks for everything.
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10 comments:

  1. Bailey K. | Travel HealsJuly 6, 2013 at 11:37 AM

    Perfectly worded post! I feel the same way, even though I live in America.

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    1. danielle abroadJuly 7, 2013 at 12:50 PM

      Glad I'm not the only one! No doubt living abroad is not a prerequisite :)

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  2. Erika from AmericaJuly 6, 2013 at 9:02 PM

    I really appreciate this (including the YouTube clip) and I think you make an important distinction: one can be proud of who they are and where they come from without having to declare it as "the best" or "better than."

    I declared my patriotism and happiness on the 4th and was surprised when it was met with: "What makes this unique to the US?" (from one of my ex-expat friends I met in France). What I felt like she was missing from my sentiments was not that I was saying that America is the best, but simply that I am GLAD to be from here (and there are a lot of places I'd be glad to be from, too). :)

    I'm glad that you are able to just appreciate where you're at when you're there -- that you can see a diversity of perspectives and let that enhance your life, rather than comparing things back and forth and judging what is better or what is not. Open-minded. :)

    --Erika
    http://www.chimerikal.com

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    1. danielle abroadJuly 7, 2013 at 12:52 PM

      I'm so happy the post resonated with you. I like to think it's a reflection of informed open mindedness, for sure. Thanks for the sweet comment!

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  3. Hope JohnsonJuly 7, 2013 at 5:04 PM

    Thought-provoking post. It's a good idea to use occasions for this kind of reflection. I think you nailed it when you replied with "reflection of informed open mindedness". I don't think there's any greatest country in the world. Most countries can learn a thing or two from one another. Australia could certainly learn from America's environmental justice movement and America's Bill of Rights, for example. And everyone could learn from the Nordic countries! This really summed up my broad impression of America "Friendly spirit, adventure, and imagination".

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    1. danielle abroadJuly 9, 2013 at 5:46 AM

      Most countries could definitely learn a thing or two from one another! Glad you can relate.

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  4. AnonymousJuly 7, 2013 at 5:19 PM

    Love this post, especially the part about liking being American not because we call ourselves the best, but because of the spirit that many Americans have. I've never been particularly patriotic (I reach the zenith of my patriotism when celebrating Thanksgivings Day abroad), but I do believe that America has a unique atmosphere that makes the country fantastic, though not to the exclusion of other countries being brilliant. As Americans, I think we have the tendency to be overly harsh and overly enthusiastic about our country, when it's really more of an in-between (isn't everything?).

    Not to mention, I like America about 1,000% more when I'm abroad and feeling homesick!

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  5. Sara LouiseJuly 9, 2013 at 3:50 AM

    When I saw that scene in The Newsroom I knew I found a favorite new tv show... that monologue says everything that I wish I was articulate enough to say myself.
    Happy belated 4th!

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