Today I was driving home and, again, a song brought tears to my eyes ... and it perplexed me. First of all, that doesn't happen much - at least not when I'm taking my meds regularly. hahaha. The song was "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" by Toby Keith. Like I said - I'm not a patriotic person. I'm not like my mom who sings the National Anthem loud and proud at sporting events with her hand over her heart like we did in first grade. That type of vigilant conformity embarrasses me. I don't even own a flag. Again, not because I'm an anarchist or anything,but just because I've never thought to get one. And really, where would I hang it? My porch on the West Side? My back patio here in the OP? Ha. Ha. But hearing this 'patriotic' song brought tears to my eyes. Why?
Maybe because I have such great love for people who are risking their lives overseas in places that I can't even imagine for reasons that we will never understand. Maybe because I can remember the day that the Twin Towers fell and how I worried about my friend Miss Jamie who worked downtown. Maybe because I think of my friend Mr. G who flew fighter planes in Korea and how proud it makes me to know him.
"And the eagle will fly and it's gonna be hell, When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell." It could be that the mention of an eagle always makes me think of Pa, which makes me tear up and sometimes even bawl like a blubbering idiot. I don't think so - more like "free me from this freakin' song".
Or it could be the other people I know who have sacrificed a part of themselves like their hearing, their sleep, their body parts and their sanity for our country and it seems that it is all in vain. They fought so hard and did their duty so we could all be ungrateful, spoiled brats who will "put a boot in your ass, it's the American way". Yeah, that makes me proud. U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A! Whatev.
One good thing, it reminded me that the 4th of July is coming. I think I'll deck out my bike in stars and stripes and ride it around Buffalo. Maybe to the fireworks at the Naval Park. Fireworks are my favorite thing in the whole world. No more tears. Fireworks. YAY - FIREWORKS!
Are you patriotic? Why? How? What do you think made you that way?
