Two years ago today our family celebrated its first Independence Day on foreign soil.  That year it was in Singapore.  Last year my friend Josh, a fellow countryman, and I were in Shanghai (I believe) for the 4th.  This year our family is home in Xining and strangely enough it’s rainy here. 

As much as the Chinese love their fireworks, the skyrockets seem suspiciously absent over here on this momentous day.  I guess all the big BANGS were used up on Chinese New Year.

Needless to say it is a bit odd celebrating a national holiday in another country.  For me though I guess it’s a bit peculiar even having a national identity at all.  Since we’ve been living overseas, I’ve noticed I often get this comment from other expatriates (especially those of the British persuasion):

"You’re not a very typical American…and I mean that as a compliment."

Ouch!  Way to kick Uncle Sam in the precious family jewels. 

I suppose I can understand what they mean from the standpoint of me not being "stereotypical", but it took me a while to learn to accept these kinds of backhanded comments.  I might not be an avid flag-waver, nor am overly proud with many of the political decisions my country makes, and I can’t say I appreciate the way we often carelessly throw our "weight" around (i.e. money, military might, opinions, entertainment industry) on the global scene, but I still have a healthy amount of pride in my country.  As many negative traits as I can list off about my homeland (and the U.S. doesn’t hold the monopoly on these), there are so many more positive traits that come to mind.  And you can’t really do much about where you are born in the first place so there’s no point in apologizing for it.

Maybe it’s a cop-out, but I guess I just don’t see nations in terms of black in white.  In much the same way that I see individual people–nations can be the worst of sinners and the most virtuous of saints–and usually are both at the same time.  (I can just hear my  British friends now, "Yeah, but some countries are bigger sinners than others!)  It’s weird I know.  Having lived overseas for two years now, I feel like it was a real blessing to have been born on the continent I was born on.  Not primarily because of the affluence but also because of the precious freedoms and opportunities that we often take for granted. 

So I guess, yeah, I am a bit atypically patriotic when it comes to the 4th of July.  I like to celebrate those who have come before and made such a place possible.  It is a very far cry from the kingdom of heaven that we nomads are moving towards, but for me it is still a place I call home.

Besides I say Boston Harbor is a good place to store tea.  And who needs that superfluous "u" in the word color?  Not this Yank.  No way.