Proud to be an American!

As we near the 4th of July, I remember how proud I am to be an American. Even though I rebelled, married a Spaniard, left the country and adopted a new culture and lifestyle, I am and will always be American. I am very proud of it and maybe even more so, as I sometimes feel like I'm the only American for miles around.

The World Cup has given me more reason to be proud and patriotic.

When I was home last I made sure to buy a big American flag because Pablo said, during the word cup and 4th of July we have to hang the American flag outside our window to represent! I though great idea! So I did just that, I bought the flag at Lowe's and we hung it out the window on the days America played their World Cup games.

Our window

I felt very proud having my American flag out the window while everyone else had their spanish flag (we put the spanish flag out during the spanish games!). Now everyone knows there is an American among them! Not sure how I feel about it as now I feel like I'm stared at but that is a whole other story.

Back to the World Cup.

So, on what happened to be America's last game, I had put the flag out the window, like I did 3 times before. We lost but I still kept it outside the following day because I was proud of America's showing! On this day, Pablo and I were at home preparing lunch, we sat down, right by the window, ate lunch and had a good old time. We finished and started clearing the plates. As we finished up I checked the flag because the wind would often blow the flag up on the window ceil and so I would fix it and let it hang down again. But this time as I went to fix the the flag.....I saw it.............a HOT DOG!

What the hell, how did a hot dog get on my flag???

We are technically on the 4th floor but really its the 5th so how anyone could chuck up a hot dog from the street and have it land on our 5 inch window ceil is beyond me, so we concluded it must have come from above. But someone had to think really hard and have good aim, and just the right touch that it would land right on, again, our 5 inch window ceil.

Why would anyone throw a hot dog out the window???

Typical answer: "They are Spanish, there is no answer for them."

My first reaction was oh my goodness,,,, a hate crime,,,, they hate me, I'm being discriminated against. I hate all Spanish. Why can't I represent my country? Why do you have to be so mean. I started screaming my new Spanish profanity so all the neighbors could hear. (we have paper thin walls and I hear everyone pee and sing in the shower. We are very close here)

Pablo laughed and laughed and laughed.

I have to admit (after a week), it was pretty funny, maybe ironic, maybe an accident, but pretty damn lucky to get that hot dog to land and stay right on the flag. Pablo seems to think it was a coincidence and I think it was on purpose. We'll probably never know.

Anyway, below are the pictures to prove it.

Julie told me about this video on the internet about American's winning goal in the 90th mintue and said it was really good. I looked it up and pasted the link below. It, once again, made me even more proud to be American. It has a whole new meaning to me now that I'm an outsider looking in. These are my people and I miss them so much. No matter how long I stay in Spain, no many how many little spanish children I have, I'll always be American, no matter how much my new family tries to change me.

The people in the video will always be my people and I will always be proud to stand next them, root for anything and everything American no matter where in the world I am. That is the power of the United States of America!

http://usa.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-2010/best-youtube-ever-2.html

Happy 4th of July America! I'm proud to call you mine!