Ummm, patriotism?

I've never had much of patriotism, or nationalism, or whatever feeling the American people have on the 4th of July. Celebrating independence here, for me, is basically just another public holiday. Come the 17th of August, i think: Woo-hooo! Sleep in, and off to malls... no traffic jam! But that's now. Back in high school, it was more like: damn! I can't even enjoy a public holiday because of the flag ceremony at school. It was torture. A whole hour of STANDING in the blazing sun. Sweat, and fainting spells. Not pretty.

That's basically it... celebrating independence.

Just a few days before our 63rd year of independence, I was saying to my husband about how this country gets all excited about celebrating their independence. Just for one day they appreciate the very existence of this nation. No complaints, no trash-talking the government. Only fun and games. Red and white flags everywhere. And I wanted absolutely no part of that kind of hypocracy.

But this year, it was different. This year I heard this song:

Indonesia tanah air beta
Pusaka abadi nan jaya
Indonesia sejak dulu kala
Slalu dipuja-puja bangsa

Disana tempat lahir beta
Dibuai dibesarkan Bunda
Tempat berlindung di hari tua
Sampai akhir menutup mata

I cried endlessly. The emotion just rushed through me like an express train. And it hit me... I never appreciated my country at all. I kept thinking that I don't have to do anything for this country because it's never done anything for me. But this country allowed me to live here. And that's a big thing.

I know I didn't choose to be born here. And no matter where I went, I always came back here. I believe I'm meant to do something great here.

So, thank you Indonesia, for the ground that I step on, for the air that I breathe, for whatever greens that is left, and for the richness that I have yet to discover.

Merdeka!