Welcome to America!

My best friend from high school, Lindy, buys me a subscription to REAL SIMPLE magazine for Christmas each year. Obviously, the title alone is right up my alley but I honestly never really read the articles as much as I looked at the pictures and read the "simple" explanations of how to make life easier, which I loved! The articles, for some reason though, just didn't catch my eye or maybe I never made the time for them. A few months ago she and her family ended up moving to the little town I call home these days, Valdez Alaska.

For Memorial Day weekend we took a little drive up country to a small lake for a camping weekend. It was a lovely, lazy, sit around all day camping trip that gave me plenty of time to read. If only I had brought a book. Lindy was thinking ahead, at least more than me, and brought her magazines and even had some issues that I hadn't received.I took my kayak out on the glass surfaced lake after a nice late breakfast and did some "REAL SIMPLE" reading.
The articles were great! I couldn't put it down! I sat out on that boat for over an hour and read the whole thing cover to cover. I left that trip thinking, I've got to go dig up all of my past issues of this magazine and catch up on some reading, quick!

My most recent SIMPLE read leads me to a new blog inspiration. There was an article about six women from six different countries who had recently become citizens of the United States. They were asked to write a story about why they had made this decision. Every story was different, every situation unique. The only common thread in each was their love of America. This was such a welcomed reminder. I hate to admit it, but over the last couple of years I had become a little wary of the good ol' U.S.A. The economy, war, environmental frustrations, processed foods fattening Americans, increases in mortality rates...I could keep going but the point is obvious. I was growing tired of a country that I grew up loving. Being raised by parents who originated from West Texas I was born patriotic. I get chills when I hear the National Anthem. I cry when I see Americans atop the winners podium in the Olympics. One of my most vivid and beautiful memories was a site seen on a favorite road trip I took of a tattooed biker riding his Harley across the Midwest. He had a large American flag flowing in the wind from the back of his bike. Miles of yellow wheat fields filled the land scape that enveloped him. His long braided pony tail stood straight as an arrow behind the knotted bandanna that wrapped around his head as if pointing to the stars and stripes of that flag. I remember thinking, now, that's America if I've ever seen it. It screamed FREEDOM to me as loud as that silent moment alone would allow. I loved it. I also love Willie Nelson as if he were a family member. :)
Current times and repetitive frustrations had given me reason to question my innate love of this country. Had my innocent trust and admiration all been in vain? Had the haters of this country and its people been right after all? All of these questions forcing themselves into my psyche were irritating to say the least which makes this article a perfect find. It instantly reminded me of my new friend, Magdalena, who moved to the U.S. 11 years ago from Poland. She just got her citizenship this past March. Since I've become friends with her she has reminded me of how good we often have it here. She has an eye for making money and for making it in general in this country. She sees opportunity at every turn. She reminds me in her attitude and presence alone that we need to appreciate what we do have. She comes from a country where struggling economically is a constant, not just a few years out of an otherwise very plentiful existence. People expect to be broke, not comfortable. They expect little opportunity and certainly not a land chock-full full of it. That very thought was a recurring theme in most of the stories I read in SIMPLE. Everyone of those women moved here for a better life. And even in 2010, they were able to find it.

My innocence a bit tainted, I stand cautiously but am proud to enjoy the positives of my homeland instead of focusing on the negative. I'm thankful to this article and my new friend who subtly reminded me that there are millions who'd give anything to be here. Far from perfect, there are still many reasons to love the U.S.A. Why do you love this country?

Now, that's American: