An American Abroad...But Not an Ex-Pat

Last Wednesday I went to a poetry reading at an American university here in Athens. The reading was to debut a book that is an anthology of poems by American poets living in Greece. I enjoyed the poems, especially because they were narrative and not just mumbly-jumbly words that someone thought sounded nice together. Yes, I admit, I'm not much of a poetry connoisseur. The part of the evening I didn't like, however, was the roundtable discussion at the end. Mainly, I didn't like it, because while the presenters were fine poets, this alone does not qualify them to sound off on any topic they wish. One guy in particular irked me as he consistently made political comments and referred to America as an empire. It wasn't so much that he said those things...hell, you're thinking, I say similar things on a regular basis...it was the position he was speaking from. Sure, he was an American, but he hasn't lived in America in ages. What right does he have to criticize, I couldn't help wondering. Why does he concern himself so much with it, having chosen to live somewhere else? I don't fault him the choice to live in Greece. I don't fault anyone the choice to live wherever they are most happy, as long as they are living there because that is what makes them truly happy and not just because they are running away from things that make them unhappy. We only get one life after all, so why not spend it being happy. However, I hate it when anyone from "the outside" critizes America. Actually that's not true, I hate when people mouth off about America. I can take thoughtful criticism. But I can't take off the cuff ranting that results in no positive action.

And that is why I will never be an ex-pat. I may travel abroad and even live abroad, but I will always be an American who returns home to America. I love my birth country and I think it is a wonderful place, but I believe it has the potential to be an even better place. And that's why I think it's important to stay in America. Seeing the problems and running away accomplishes nothing. Seeing the problems and working to change them has the potential to accomplish everything. The best citizens are the ones who do take a critical look at their country and its policies and actions...and then take action to make their country a better place, a country they can truly be proud of. The solution is not to shout loudly from a distance and then hole yourself up in your own private world. The solution is to act.