Yesterday we had the most wonderful opportunity to spend the day at a Navy Base about 50 kilometers outside of Tokyo. It is a joint base between the US and Japan. Every year they "open the gates" to allow people to come and visit the base. On this beautiful Saturday afternoon they were expecting about 25,000 people.
Through our church, we were able to meet one of the chaplains (PCA) of this base and his wife. They extended the invitation for a few families from our church to join them for a day of fun at the base. Because we were with them, we did not have to wait in the long line and walked right in. As I walked up towards the base I was flooded with unexpected emotion regarding our country. After spending some time abroad and learning people's opinions of America, there have been times where I have been almost embarrassed to be from America simply because of how we are perceived (by some) globally. But yesterday, walking on that base, I was reminded of the freedom our country represents and I was so proud to be from America. Some times I think America can get a bad rap based on the media and what people see on TV. America stands for great things and has a rich history, and yesterday I was reminded of this. I really did not expect to have such sincere patriotism regarding our country when I walked into that base. Throughout the entire day, I thought often of our friends who currently serve in the military and work very hard to continue to pursue freedom.
We had a wonderful day. Words cannot describe how much fun it was and how encouraging it was to be with these friends. It felt like home. We were outside of the city, away from the hustle and bustle. You could smell bar-b-q, grilled hamburgers, chicken wings and could even see some cold Budweisers for sale. We enjoyed Taco Bell and apple pie. They had several air craft out from both Japan and the US. This base is a joint base so the two countries work together here. Our friends' boys were in heaven getting to climb up in the air craft and practice using a real fire hose. So many highlights, but one of my favorites came at the end of the day as we were walking back to the station to take the train home. There was a Japanese man and several American men (they looked like navy guys) enjoying some beers and singing on the side of the road. The song of choice..."Country Roads" by John Denver. No kidding. Kan and I are not from West Virginia, but we joined in the song, simply because it was "Country Roads." It brought large smiles to our faces.
2 comments:
Only in Japan would there be a Hello Kitty pilot! Love it!
Taco Bell?! I tell you, I never wanted TB more than when I was in Tokyo pregnant with Little Girl. Yum! And your words about patriotism are touching. :)
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