The National Anthem

I'm sleepless right now - it's awfully hard to sleep through contractions, I'm discovering. So I'm watching Game 2 of the World Series live, thanks to my mom's purchase of the World Series package on MLB.com. I don't know if these contractions will lead anywhere, but at least I'm entertaining myself.

Anyway, Fox just aired the singing of "God Bless America" during the seventh inning stretch, and it reminded me of a comment one of our Dutch friends made recently. We were talking about traditions before big sporting events. Evidently, it is not customary for all countries to pay tribute to their country like Americans do when we sing the Anthem or pledge our allegiance. We also talked about other times we would do it - in school, for example.

Growing up in America, singing about my country was just something I did. But I remember how much hearing the National Anthem meant to my expatriated (future) mother-in-law during the 1996 Olympics. Being in Taiwan for 20+ years at the time, hearing it brought tears to her eyes. I decided at that moment that there must be something about the tradition.

I guess at least one Dutch person wouldn't agree with me, though. My friend's words at the end of our explanation of when and where we sing the Anthem or say the Pledge? "That's stupid."