An Appreciation

I adore the United States of America. The red white and blue on the fourth, crying during the national anthem, stopping wherever I am to say the pledge. . . love it, but I will not deny that I love the notion of the International world. It has so much to offer. 

Too often, I think that Americans get this notion in their head that we are far superior to the rest of the world, and frankly-in many respects-we are . . . I won't deny that. But we are not the end all be all. We would not exist, nor would we be what we are today without the rest of the world. Having a very real possibility of living outside of the country  for three months right in front of me, I can't help but feel the need to yank myself out of the egotistical American mindset and realize that the rest of the world is great! There is worth outside of the fifty states, and each of us needs to recognize that fact.
And yet it seems that the most beautiful thing about living within the realm of the International, is that we have something to offer. We, as Americans have great freedoms {some of which have become far limited since 1776, but nonetheless} and how blessed we are. We cannot shirk the responsibility we have to inspire others for good. We cannot put off familiarizing ourselves with how other people eat and sleep and talk and live their lives. We are all connected in this human race, and whether you're from Marseilles, Shanghai or Jakarta-you're a human being. America is a beautiful land, and I will never be able to express the magnitude of my gratitude for being here, but I refuse to allow myself to go through my life without acknowledging the beauty of this entire world- of each person and the traditions, that come with them. I am most certainly proud to be an American, but I am even more thrilled to be part of this human race. It's a beautiful yet challenging time to be alive, and so we need to realize our need for the rest of the world. We're all in it together, and I'll admit that I am glad.