God bless America and no place else

From Peter Hopkirk's The Great Game, p. 523, referring to 19th-century British and Russian officers who were involved in the struggle for control of India and Central Asia:

Men such as these, of either side, had few doubts about what they were doing. For those were the days of supreme imperial confidence, unashamed patriotism, and an unswerving belief in the superiority of Christian civilization over all the others.

I wonder what it would be like to believe that. It seems like Americans have lost a lot of their patriotism. We don't have that blustering self-confidence or trust in our government that allows us to believe that everything we do is right and moral. Dr Fears asks his class of 350 if they consider it noble and worthwhile to die for your country. Three people raise their hands. And I doubt they are enlisted.

There are few things for which I would give my life. Territorial gain is certainly not one of them. I don't think I'm crazy, but I'm not sure those 19th-century guys were either. I don't know.

a winter's day

Two weeks from today is Christmas. That's fun.

Tomorrow my family leaves their outpost in Russia and makes the long (10-day) trek to Tulsa. There will be lots of planes, trains, and automobiles. Really.

I've taken three days off work which gives me ten straight days off over Christmas and New Years. I'm glad I still get a pseudo-break as a pseudo-college-student. Some things I am looking forward to:

- Seeing my family. I said goodbye and got on the train on January 10. It'll have been ten and a half months by the time I see them in a couple weeks. That's a really long time.

- Sleeping in past six, and then drinking my dad's pakistani chai every morning. It's delicious, it's caffeinated, and it's hand-delivered to me.

- Christmas in Oklahoma. Well, I really love Christmas in Russia, but I'm willing to experience change. Maybe we will have snow. Maybe not. It'll be fun. There are nine of us and everyone gives everyone else a present. If you do the math, that is a lot of presents. We open them one at a time. Then I'll spend the rest of the morning with my mom in the kitchen.

- possibly midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

- New Years in Oklahoma. New Years is a big deal in the former Soviet Union so I love the holiday. I will definitely miss our tradition of going to the natural hot springs pool in the mountains like we did the last two years. And the sparklers and fireworks at midnight. Oklahoma New Years are usually much quieter. But that's okay, and it will be great.

- Going to church with my parents in Tulsa. I love my church in Norman, and like to be there, but it has been three years since I've been to TCF. The people there have known me and my family since I was a baby. They love us well. It will be good to see them all again.

- Seeing Michael & Anna and Thomas, who all moved away but will be in Tulsa over break. And other friends.

- Lots of good Schupack food and Schupack family time. Hearing our standard family Christmas music, baking our traditional Christmas goods. Watching movies, hanging out. Catching up. Taking pictures. Being silly. Getting on each other's nerves.

And then it's back to work on January 4. Yesterday I celebrated four months at my job. Which is funny because I don't really love my job so I was not exactly celebrating. But it's okay.

Life is good, overall. I am thankful.