National Appreciation

I am proud to be a half first generation American.

I was born here and so was my father but my mother was not.

To just add more flavor to the mixture that makes up me my parents both joined the military. My mother was only in for a short time but I remember her days working in dress blues.

We lived in town and so except for medical visits and the occasional errands our life looked like every one else’s mostly.

I was in air planes before I ever went to school going with my mother across the country to visit back home. She is from the Bahamas.

Mean while my very full life has centered here in northern California. I love my country and I am so appreciative of all the soldiers living and not who signed up or went to help defend it.

Early on I told myself I was not interested in ever checking it out from basic training to a life on call nothing ever sounded appealing about signing up.

God has blessed us I wish more people (especially Americans) would open their eyes and really see this. Yes there are problems evil and corruption, yes mistakes have been made. 

Still there is no place in the world I want to go and stay. We’ve been set high on a hill visible for all to see. It makes us a target it causes people to hate and misunderstand. Glory is not a human thing is it spiritually discerned for full appreciation.

I am kind of disappointed because my daughter seems to have a more jaded view and opinion of it all. I think she hasn’t lived enough or seen enough to know how fortunate she really is. She is so feisty she does not care. (lol) It is ok she is still young. I can’t imagine her leaving either.

I still do not understand my mother who retains her other world citizenship. When I found this out I almost fell over. I couldn’t imagine how a country could let you join their military and not be a citizen. 

Now that I am older it makes sense that a country appreciate a soldiers allegiance and resolve.

By my recall it would seem I have visited even if only by drive as many as 46 states. We never got to WA, HI or AK for sure. There might be one or two others we missed. 

In my childhood we flew to FL, drove to MI and OK. I went on a school trip to NY and to visit an aunt in the PA, D.C. area. My mom, brother and I took Amtrak some where for something maybe that is how we got to the northern east coast.

There is no place like home (the only place where people do not talk funny) but it’s enriching to get out and see the greatness of the nation in every day scenarios.

Thank You Veterans from an Air Force BRAT