A TCK on experiencing the emotions of patriotism.

If you have been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know I openly share my history and back ground.

Well, to me that means I have let you into my life and maybe even my home in some instances.

Well today, I ask you to enter into my bedroom.

Yesterday, as I watched the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of
America, I wept and felt joy unspeakable.

I closely watched all the programing and felt happy yet my heart ached.

I thought of my parents. I wished they had lived to see this day. They would have shed tears of joy.

In the evening, I called my brother to tease him that his classmate was now the presdient and what the heck was he doing with is professorial life. My brother attended Columbia University when President Obama was there but they did not know each other.

When I spoke to my sister, I told her that for the first time in my life, I had experienced the emotions of patriotism. I actually felt patriotic. It was a brand new feeling to me.

As a third culture kid, growing up in Nigeria, I knew I had an out. I knew I would go to America to attend University and I knew that my racial and cultural identity were not wholly Nigerian. So I did not engage and connect with corruption in the media and poverty on the streets that were my daily experience of my life there.  I knew I had options.

Since living here in the States, as I look back on it now, my attitude was that I was just taking up a very small slice of this ever so vast country with my job, my home and my life.

Some how I have always felt disconnected from it all that I am not part and parcel of this country. On fourth of July, I just observe. I do not participate. I respect that this country has a strong patriotic spirit and if you had asked me, I would have said that I am patriotic.

However, now that I have experienced it, I can tell you that I was not fully patriotic and I have genuinely experienced it for the first time in my life.

No, I take that back.

For the second time in my life.

The first time was out of a more defensive posture when 9/11 happened. I felt angry and unsafe. I felt, “How could you do this to us?”

I did experience “us” then, however, it was more from a survivor instinct place.

Now, I experienced it from a place of pride. I felt that finally I expereinced a side of this country that fully seduced me. I felt aligned to a governmental and leadership purpose. I felt indescribably one with this country.

That is the vibe of patriotism.

I will continue to explore it and contribute from that place to my greater community.

What about you?

How do you experience patriotism?

Do you take it for granted or do you re-experience it often?