Seething

I have avoided posting when I am upset with people on here because people I love read this (and sometimes I want to vent about them).  Instead I have tried really hard to keep their lives private, keep the family crap off the internet, and stay above it all.  But not today.  Today I vent because after this afternoon I was shaking so badly I nearly broke the wine glass my husband had just brought me.  

I am who I am.  If you don't like it, you have the choice to not accept it and move out of my life.  If you see my love of the slower paced European lifestyle as un-American, so be it.  You're wrong, but isn't it great that free speech allows you that?  I am a military wife.  While I don't really love my husband's job it's because I value the military men and women much more than many of their superiors seem to.  I am proud of being married to a man who loves his country.  Both he and I love the foundation of this country.  A revolution of people who fought for their independence.  People who worked hard for what they felt was right.  We both love history, and we're both proud of our American history.  

That being said, I do not like that the stereotypical idea of Americans with the fast food, impatience, blatant rudeness to strangers, go go go is one that I see and wage a personal war against every day.  I am not proud that we live in a sue happy country that values work more than family time (no matter what b.s. they try to talk about with "American" values).  I am not proud that parents who occasionally swat their children have to fight child abuse charges (mind you, I don't plan to spank much, but I support the right to calmly use it as a disciplinary method).  I am not proud that obesity and greed is how the rest of the world portrays us.  Forgive me if I have tried to counteract that reputation.  

I stated that I missed "home."  I have been completely upfront about missing my life in England.  I have been completely upfront about loving the life I led there.  Sure there were things missing.  But I liked the slower pace and I will defend that.  It does not make me unAmerican.  For that matter I am not a fan of the intrusiveness of the British government.  That is the reason that I would never try and obtain citizenship there.  I am not against our country.  Far from it.  I love our rights, I love that we don't have judges who can condemn a woman to be buried in the sand and slowly stoned to death (ahem, Iran), and I respect that many people would love to live here (and I fully support their right to immigrate here).  

I have made a choice these last few months to be less judgemental, less argumentative, to take my time more before responding.  I love my life and very rarely feel bothered enough to waste time debating it.  It's strange that people who admire some of my qualities fail to tie them to my life in England (such as my cooking skills, taking the time to make things for friends and family).  But this is who I am.  I am not you.  Many people wouldn't enjoy a slower lifestyle.  I think it's to the detriment of our country, but so are many things in many places.  I am not perfect.  I don't ask that you believe as I believe or choose to live as I live.  But do not even think about calling me un-American if you don't know me well enough to know my ideals and beliefs.  And chances are, you don't.