America.
When I hear that word, a million different thoughts rush through my head. They range from freedom to independence to history. If you asked me to produce one word that completely described everything I felt inside when I hear my country's name, it would be "pride."
For me, America means everything because it is my home. It's the nation where I was born and raised. The country's culture has dictated how I live and interpret the world around me. Truly, America is all I know. I feel as though I am, in essence, a symbol of what is truly American. Due to this, I believe it is my duty to do all I can to protect this land.
Over my spring break, I had the opportunity to visit the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. When I crossed over the bridge that led into the city, I felt as if I was stepping straight into history. An incredible sense of love and pride rushed through my veins. Seeing the monuments and buildings in real life that I had only ever viewed in pictures or on TV made everything I had ever learned about this country seem tangible and real. I was overcome with adoration for my country unlike any I had ever had before. I was actually living what had only ever been a dream. What I didn't know was that seeing the outside of the monuments and museums was only the beginning.
They say it's what's on the inside that counts. This statement perfectly applies to this situation. I was not joking when I said that seeing places like the Capitol, the Washington Monument, or the Smithsonian exhibits was powerful. It truly was, but when I walked beyond the threshold and actually entered into the history at the Smithsonian Museum of American History, the emotions that I experienced were indescribable. How does one actually really let it set in that they are literally inside their homeland's history? I honestly don't know.
Visiting that museum was a defining moment for me. I saw with my own eyes artifacts that define America. From the lunch counter used in the Greensboro sit-ins to the medals of honor that were given to men and women who served, everything held a remarkable importance that captivated my entire being. I simply could not get over what I was looking at. I'll never get over it.
There was one item in that museum, though, that did stir up more emotions in me than anything else. That, my friends, would be the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner." I've heard the song all my life. Countless times I've listened to the lyrics and had teachers explain the story to me, but it wasn't until I actually saw the flag that was worn and torn from the combat it had experienced in person that the national anthem fully made sense. Imagine being at war and waiting in uncertainty, not knowing the outcome, and all of a sudden seeing your nation's flag emerge from the rubble. That is exactly what Key experienced.
I will never be able to fully comprehend seeing that flag or the story that accompanies it. It simply isn't possible, but I can do all I am capable of doing to protect those moments and stories that define this great nation, which was built as one nation under God.
To sum all of this up, I am trying to convey to you that it is our job to take care of this country. As Americans, it is our duty to never lose sight of what all went into making our home what it is today. Too many men died trying to make this country what it is. Never, ever forget that, and God bless America.
