There's a quote from a work of literature that has sparked the National Revival in my country back in the 19th century, I don't know if it fits to be shared here, but here is the quote (rough translation from my native language):

"Oh, you unreasonable fools - why are you embarrassed to call yourselves Bulgarian?"

In this case, it would be: "Oh, you unreasonable fools - why are you embarrassed to call yourselves American?"

The reason why I am sharing this quote is that I have the feeling that many Americans are embarrassed to call themselves Americans (at least that's what I have been seeing online since May this year). Maybe it's just me, but I think it's bad. I know every country has its own problems, but hating your own country is never the solution. Being embarrassed by your own Nation is never the solution. Trust me on this one - coming from a Bulgarian who left Bulgaria to study abroad in University. And don't get me wrong, I love the experience of being a foreign student, just like many of my peers, but my country will always come first. I see so many children with one Bulgarian parent, who don't even speak Bulgarian and it breaks my heart - after all, Bulgarian blood is running through their veins.

I used to hate my country. I could barely wait for the day I left Bulgaria to study abroad. And I can just tell you that the little things, even meeting other Bulgarians, meeting people who knew about Bulgarian History and Culture (for example, I met a Musicology professor at my University, who had a vocal group and they knew the song "Lilyano Mome", which is a Bulgarian folklore song), they can make you feel nostalgic. There are moments in which you will feel different as a foreigner and there will be moments in which you won't be quite proud of your Nationality and you will wish to be like everybody else around you. And there will be days when all you will want to do is to scream proudly that you come from this country. At the end of the day, if you don't embrace your culture, your history, your nationality, you will lose a big part of yourself. And what are you going to teach your children someday? You might pretend, but these children will carry your blood, they will have those foreign roots of yours. You can't escape from that. You can't escape from the past. You can't escape from who you truly are, Nation-wise. Again, this is from my own experience. As I am writing this, I am 21 years old and I don't have any children yet, but I know that when I do, I will teach them to speak Bulgarian, to read and to write in Bulgarian, so that they know how to do it so that they never feel humiliated of their origins.

I am fully aware that this comment can be used against me in the future, but I felt the need to say this. I know I should be focused on what is happening in my own country and the country I am based in, but I can't help but worry about the States. I know it may seem silly, but it is the truth. I am worried because I can see most people around me aren't doing their proper research. They have no idea about the consequences of their lack of proper research before the voting in November. They don't seem to even know their History. And my History teacher told me back in 9th and 10th grade that I had to know my History - and she is so right. If you don't know your History, you won't know how it can possibly repeat itself.

If you do your research about my country, you will learn that it has been under an Ottoman Rulement for five centuries. If you do your proper research, you will learn what has saved the Bulgarians back in the 19th century (I recommend you to read more about this, you won't regret it). And then, if you continue your research, you will learn about socialism in Bulgaria and how it has affected my country to this day. And you will learn why you don't want socialism. Trust me, I haven't lived during socialism (it has ended on the 10th of November 1989) but my grandparents and parents have lived during these times. And from hearing their stories, I do not wish a socialistic regime on absolutely any country in this world. Freedom of speech is a human right - something that hasn't quite existed during socialism (research!).

#Bulgaria #patriotism #Yoors