With Independence Day just a few days ago, I found myself in a town full of patriotism, where citizens were flying their red, white and blue flags and crowding around small streets to watch a parade go by. Why is this experience so unusual you may ask? It is because I live in Lakewood, Washington, a city just outside a gate to Joint Base Lewis McChord, and many of those people I see on the street are family members of active duty military personnel.

Many people talk about what it is like to be a Military brat, and their experiences with their loved ones flying over seas to protect their country. I come from a similar background with both of my grandfathers having served in a branch of the military for several years, and my father did a short stint in the Navy. However, all of my family members were discharged before I was born.

While my kin were not active in the military as I was growing up, my family did end up settling in Lakewood, Washington, a town full of constant reminders of what these men and women do everyday to serve their country.

You see, I grew up seeing men and women in uniform buying their groceries and dropping their children off at the same schools I attended. I grew up in town where during Veterans and Memorial day assemblies, the student body was asked to stand if they had a family member who is serving or who has previously served in the United States Military. I grew up in a school district where 90 percent of the student body would stand up in those assemblies.

I did not fully understand how unusual my childhood experiences had been until I reached college. Each of the new friends that I was meeting would tell their high school horror stories about bullies and the prejudices they have faced. However, I realized that I didn’t have any of that, and I credit that with growing up in a military town.

I noticed that military children are very well behaved, especially if they spent time in the south where it is customary to address adults as “Sir” or “Ma’am” as a sign of respect. That begins to rub off on people like me, who spend time with other children who have these habits.

Growing up in a military town, I saw these friends who taught me when to address someone as “Sir” or “Ma’am” come and go every two years. As someone who is rooted into a town that is constantly changing around you means that you get to meet new people all the time. You meet people who were born in China, and Germany, and somewhere in the deep south. You learn to listen to other people’s thoughts and their experiences and form a way of understanding other people without judging them. Since the student body that made up your school was constantly changing around you, there was no time for unnecessary hate.

Being a steady constant in a military world opens your eyes to what there is around you. You see the sacrifice that others are making for your safety and your freedom, and that makes you grateful. You see how bad the world can be in other places that are not Lakewood, Washington or United States of America, and that makes you grateful. You begin to see how unique the place that you live truly is, and that makes you grateful.

I would not want to change the fact that I grew up in close proximity to a military base, because it made me the open-minded individual I am today.