Patriotism Defined

Once upon a time, a long time ago, I was a high school student given the assignment "what America means to me." I was asked the question when I was 15 years old. At 15, my biggest concern was what I was doing on Friday night. So recently I came upon that paper. What America meant to me was that I have the opportunity to live here. Patriotism at its finest, I loved my country. I loved living here. I still love living here. Now that I have more of an idea of politics and I don't care about my date night plans, I want to reexamine the notion of what this nation means to me. I want to come to some sort of crystal clear notion on what patriotism is.

In reexamining the entire idea, I've realized what the nation means to me doesn't really matter at all. More accurately, writing about this does absolutely nothing.

Writing about this topic has its advantages. I realize how lucky I am. I get to think about all the things I have. All of these things do have their worth and their valor. Gratitude is very important, but at the same time having some kind of debate on what is patriotic and what is not…it may make my heart feel full of patriotic joy for a single moment, but it doesn't get me any closer to a real answer.

Then at the same time, I have to realize that it's not all about me. I am writing for some kind of audience, whoever it may be. I want to come to some kind of conclusion about demonstrating patriotism.

The best way that a person can show love for this country, or any country is to do something. Whether it is to help its citizens or just participating in the process.

Volunteer some time for a cause, a cause that you believe in. Something that can improve the lives of a single being. If a person wants to dedicate their entire life to service, that's fantastic. If someone dedicates a few hours a year, great. Doing something to help others…a great way to give back to the country that so many people love. If time isn't an option, maybe money is a better one. There are charities out there which could use some help. These help people. Which in turn helps the United States in general.

Maybe philanthropy isn't for some people. Time…money…not an option. There is another option for those people to really demonstrate that they love their country. This option is simple, doesn't take too long, you don't need to do it all that often…really it's fantastic.

Vote.

Yes, vote. Well…don't just go vote for Joe Republican or Stan Democrat just because they are part of "your party." Research the issues. Look at what the candidates really stand for. Look at every single issue and say "is that what I want for this city/state/country." If the answer is yes…vote for that person. If the answer is no-find the candidate who is the closest to your political ideals. It may take some time to research, but votes can make a difference in this nation. Educated votes are very helpful in the entire electoral process. For a nation that founded its principles on democracy, it's not exactly "loving your country" to just ignore that.

America is a country worth doing something for, which is what it means to me. I still love living here. I still love the opportunities I have. At the same time, I realize just living isn't really helping anything (even though I am paying taxes!) To define something so personal and to put something trite on loving something, whether it be a land mass or an ideal, is impossible. Making an effort to do something really does give patriotism a true meaning, beyond the scope of mere words.