Benjamin Franklin once said, “Where liberty
dwells, there is my Country” – You may have already known that. But, did you
also know that Benjamin Franklin was the first post master general of these United States and was the oldest member of the Constitutional Convention? I did
– I studied that one fact, along with 99 others till I was blue in the face.
Until I lived and breathed information… Like there are 435 house members in
congress and the Chief Justice of the Supreme court is Judge John G. Roberts.
These 100 trivia questions may never come up again my life. But for one day, last week, My future as an American hinged on them.
August 14th, 2009: I entered the United States as a permanent resident. June 7th, 2018: I became a Citizen and was presented with my very own flag.
It’s not a large flag, it’s not canvas. It wasn’t folded by men in dress blues or handed to me at retirement. It never flew over a capitol building. It never flew anywhere really. It has waved in my hands to cheers and applause only once, but to me- It is as beautiful a flag as any.
The thing about a citizenship ceremony is this – for one brief hour in your life, you are in a room surrounded by only patriots. All clutching their tiny wood and cloth flags to their chests as they swear an oath of allegiance to a country that offered them something they could not get anywhere else in the world. I don’t think anyone in that room last week would have traded their flag for anything. The pretty certificate, the copy of the constitution and the declaration of independence were lovely touches. For a fee you can get your certificate replaced. Those books can be ordered on amazon and shipped next week if you were so inclined. But that Flag for a new citizen… It can never be replaced.
When I moved to the United States of America nearly a decade ago with a green card, I was never inclined to become an American. I came from New Zealand, a beautiful country, we have some pretty hills and beaches, and a flag we are sometimes on the fence about. New Zealand is an incredibly multicultural nation. No one is really expected in any way to adapt to their new home. Your new home will adapt to you. It works for New Zealand, but it leaves the country without a real sense of unification. Patriotism wasn’t bred into me like it is in America. Belonging to one country or another was just a quirk of birth that didn’t really hold any significance.
What I wasn’t counting on when I got here was falling in love with this country, and its rows upon rows (upon rows) of Flags. I wasn't counting on realizing the truth that this nation really is the Freest nation on the Earth. That opportunity abounds. That you can make a life for yourself based on your desire and ability to put in the work. I used to joke that you’d be hard pressed to forget which country you were in when there are more flags than mail boxes.
After being married to a United States Army veteran for 10 years, having surrounded myself with combat veterans and working with the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes for 8 – I can firmly say that this country is home. If Home is where your heart is, I am as American as baseball cards and blue jeans. How can I not have fallen in love with something worth so much?
Sure, The Immigration and Naturalization Services probably paid maybe a quarter for my flag. Less for buying bulk. But the value of something is not found in the cost of it’s raw materials, it is found in the price the market is willing to pay for it. The price that has been paid for the flag is steep indeed. Since WW1 – Over 625,000 Military members have paid with their lives for the Flag and the ideals it represents. When you consider the worth of those lives, what could I consider more precious?
Last week, I made of Oath of Allegiance to this country that has welcomed me with open arms. I swore to support and defend The Constitution of the United States and then I recited with a young shy man from Nepal on my left, and a vibrant excited mother of two from Peru on my right the pledge of Allegiance, to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which is stands. As our gathered family members applauded, we waved our tiny flags and together we shared a once in a lifetime moment, 10 minutes previous we were three strangers, foreigners in a foreign land, hailing from around the globe. Now, joined forever as countrymen, one nation under God.
These 100 trivia questions may never come up again my life. But for one day, last week, My future as an American hinged on them.
August 14th, 2009: I entered the United States as a permanent resident. June 7th, 2018: I became a Citizen and was presented with my very own flag.
It’s not a large flag, it’s not canvas. It wasn’t folded by men in dress blues or handed to me at retirement. It never flew over a capitol building. It never flew anywhere really. It has waved in my hands to cheers and applause only once, but to me- It is as beautiful a flag as any.
The thing about a citizenship ceremony is this – for one brief hour in your life, you are in a room surrounded by only patriots. All clutching their tiny wood and cloth flags to their chests as they swear an oath of allegiance to a country that offered them something they could not get anywhere else in the world. I don’t think anyone in that room last week would have traded their flag for anything. The pretty certificate, the copy of the constitution and the declaration of independence were lovely touches. For a fee you can get your certificate replaced. Those books can be ordered on amazon and shipped next week if you were so inclined. But that Flag for a new citizen… It can never be replaced.
When I moved to the United States of America nearly a decade ago with a green card, I was never inclined to become an American. I came from New Zealand, a beautiful country, we have some pretty hills and beaches, and a flag we are sometimes on the fence about. New Zealand is an incredibly multicultural nation. No one is really expected in any way to adapt to their new home. Your new home will adapt to you. It works for New Zealand, but it leaves the country without a real sense of unification. Patriotism wasn’t bred into me like it is in America. Belonging to one country or another was just a quirk of birth that didn’t really hold any significance.
What I wasn’t counting on when I got here was falling in love with this country, and its rows upon rows (upon rows) of Flags. I wasn't counting on realizing the truth that this nation really is the Freest nation on the Earth. That opportunity abounds. That you can make a life for yourself based on your desire and ability to put in the work. I used to joke that you’d be hard pressed to forget which country you were in when there are more flags than mail boxes.
After being married to a United States Army veteran for 10 years, having surrounded myself with combat veterans and working with the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes for 8 – I can firmly say that this country is home. If Home is where your heart is, I am as American as baseball cards and blue jeans. How can I not have fallen in love with something worth so much?
Sure, The Immigration and Naturalization Services probably paid maybe a quarter for my flag. Less for buying bulk. But the value of something is not found in the cost of it’s raw materials, it is found in the price the market is willing to pay for it. The price that has been paid for the flag is steep indeed. Since WW1 – Over 625,000 Military members have paid with their lives for the Flag and the ideals it represents. When you consider the worth of those lives, what could I consider more precious?
Last week, I made of Oath of Allegiance to this country that has welcomed me with open arms. I swore to support and defend The Constitution of the United States and then I recited with a young shy man from Nepal on my left, and a vibrant excited mother of two from Peru on my right the pledge of Allegiance, to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which is stands. As our gathered family members applauded, we waved our tiny flags and together we shared a once in a lifetime moment, 10 minutes previous we were three strangers, foreigners in a foreign land, hailing from around the globe. Now, joined forever as countrymen, one nation under God.
So, here's to civic
duty. Voting and Jury Duty - For which I will gladly show up. And here's to
Liberty, and Freedom, and here's to the Flag.
I think maybe, in the end, Lee Greenwood said it best.
And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I'd gladly stand up next to you
And defend Her still today
'Cause there ain't no doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
I think maybe, in the end, Lee Greenwood said it best.
And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I'd gladly stand up next to you
And defend Her still today
'Cause there ain't no doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.
OUTFRIGGINSTANDING!
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