Proud to be an American?

Someone just brought up the question on a forum that I frequent. Asked "Are you proud to be an American?"

My answer? No, not particularly...but not particularly not.

Before the flames get lit....

I don't see the the place where I happen to have popped into the world as a point of pride (or lack thereof). Sheer dumb luck is all that was. Sheer dumb luck might just as easily have placed me in Somalia or the rural Dakotas...or as the child of a royal family somewhere.

I also don't see my genetics as a point of pride (or lack thereof). So I've never understood the point of people making a big deal over *insert ethnic group of your choice* pride.

Therefore, extreme patrotism and excessive flag waving kinda baffles me. Am I thankful for where I am and what's available to me? Sure...but that's not the same thing.

(no subject)

Just since yesterday, Ferarri's been acting more like herself again. She's started following me around the house, doesn't stay downstairs all the time, actually hopping around on the computer desk and lazing on top of the monitor again.

Not that I particularly want Ferarri fur in the monitor, but she's acting much more normal again.

Also, being home in the middle of the day when not sick or otherwise having a day off is weird.

But I do like lazing around in my pajamas.

I should probably try to sleep for a few hours at some point before I leave for work...12 hours...if I don't sleep, I will have been awake for nearly 12 hours before going to work and having to stay awake for another 12I should not have gone to sleep last night.

Smalltimore Strikes again!

I came into work, and at the beginning of my shift, one of my coworkers was getting ready to leave. He came up to say hello before leaving and I snapped my browser shut because I was perusing a pagan forum, and while I know that my supervisor and assorted office management don't give a flying rat's posterior, I don't know about this particular coworker and don't care to discuss such things at work.

Well, he caught a glimpse of it just as it was closing and asked if I was pagan. There was no way to evade the question, and if he made a stink, I don't think it would go far around here. So, I just said "Yes" and decided to leave it at that. But then he said "So am I!" and pulled a pentacle out from under his shirt collar, then tucked it back in, asking me not to tell anyone. He mentioned that he suspected that someone else around here was also but she never talked about it. I informed him that there are several of us. (Offhand, I know of no fewer than 5 others, myself excluded and I suspect that there are more.)

Turns out, he knows Caryn and Will and his ex-wife used to be a member of the grove (no one I know though).