My America. What about you?

So I love America. I love America completely and truly just as much for it's faults and failures as for it's triumphs and successes. I think sometimes people fall into the line of thinking that, "Well I don't like what the governments doing, so I don't really like America." No, wrong. That's why you should like America, because we have a system put in place that means we as the people have a voice (albeit a representative and symbolic voice) in the way our country is governed. But that's beside the point. 

There's a 100's of reasons to dislike America. But there's millions upon millions of reasons to love America. When I see something absurd like an incredible mullet, or a car with Looney Toons characters painted on the side of it, I say out loud, "I love America." Because things like that are just incredible. 

When I said this the other day, someone asked me if I was being serious. If I really did love America. I was slightly offended, but realized this was an opportunity to explain my love of this country. 

I know America is not perfect, but damn if I'm not proud to stand up and put my hand over my heart when the "Star Spangled Banner" is played. 

So just take a moment to think about America and what it means to you. Maybe not as much as it means to me, but hopefully it means something. This is my America. 

My America is home. 

My America is church steeples in the country side and rolling hills.

My America is wide open roads and truck drivers. 

My America is coffee shops until 4 in the morning and blue skies.  

My America is home. 

My America is the love of a good women. 

My America is family, and friends, and Long Island, and East Tennessee, and Southern Florida, and NOLA. 

My America is knowing your neighbors name and lending a helping hand. 

My America is home. 

My America is Bob Dylan and his terrible voice and his beautiful songs. 

My America is crying with your best friend when it all falls apart. 

My America is fireworks on the fourth of July and giving out candy on Halloween. 

My America is fireflies and morning frost. 

My America is family. 

My America is baseball with my Dad. 

My America is driving on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Interstate system and switchback mountain roads. 

My America is Appalachia. 

My America is the Grand Canyon. 

My America is the Great Lakes. 

My America is the Mississippi River. 

My America is land of the free and home of the brave. 

My America is open to any and all, just like it was to my family. 

My America is not perfect. 

My America is opportunity. 

My America is hope. 

My America is home. 

My America is my opportunity, my hope, and my home. 

What is your America?