Patriotism

“How does one hate a country, or love one? Tibe talks about it; I lack the trick of it. I know people, I know towns, farms, hills and rivers and rocks, I know how the sun at sunset in autumn falls on the side of a certain plowland in the hills; but what is the sense of giving a boundary to all that, of giving it a name and ceasing to love where the name ceases to apply? What is love of one's country; is it hate of one's uncountry? Then it's not a good thing. Is it simply self-love? That's a good thing, but one mustn't make a virtue of it, or a profession... Insofar as I love life, I love the hills of the Domain of Estre, but that sort of love does not have a boundary-line of hate. And beyond that, I am ignorant, I hope.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin, The left hand of Darkness 

As I reflect on what it means to be patriotic, I came across this passage by Ursula Guin from 1969. Being an immigrant myself in this country, I have felt my loyalty to two places, the country that gave me birth and helped create a foundation for me and the country which gave me a future full of hopes and dreams. I have expanded this love to other countries that I have visited especially Nepal which lies in the lap of the Himalayas and has given me the confidence; Norway, where I felt something special; Italy, where I loved the blue skies.

What does being patriotic means to you? Could we expand this definition to our planet or the universe we are all part of? I love the idea of feeling expansive, a world without borders or boundaries. For sure, there are no boundaries to our consciousness or our capacity to feel love and compassion. Why then do we have to draw lines about where our patriotism starts and ends?

Ritu Kapur