By

Kevin Molloy

I have now been back in the United States for over a year as of June 15^th. I really missed the many beauties of this country. Everything in the "God Bless America" song I missed. I have seen purple mountains in West Virginia. I have wondered at the spacious skies over the plains.

I have now seen both oceans and the Gulf of Mexico. I loved crossing over into Mexico at Nogales and being proud to show my blue passport to customs officials to get back in to this beautiful land. Simply put, I love America!

There are other things I appreciate since I left for China to do what God had told me to do.

I missed the little things that we take for granted here in America. Probably the most was the ability to read signs. I never used to think about reading signs before, but now I am very grateful for even that small beauty in America.

When I first returned I kissed the gas pumps, because they were in English & in gallons not liters.

I value the rights and liberties that we share here in America. The right to one free phone call when arrested by the police; rights like these are denied to Americans overseas. The right to a speedy trial is denied if you do not have any money.

The grocery stores have whole rows of butter and cheese selections to choose from; this is a precious gem to me. (In China, it is rare to have butter and cheese.)

Signs are the biggest joy I now have though here in America. I never realized the necessity of being able to read and write as much since I returned. I had to tell everything according to marketing gizmos and advertising.

I still keep some Chinese newspapers to remind myself every once in a while of how Good it is to be back home. I really missed America.

Over in China, I had all the luxuries that most Chinese people would kill for in that densely populated nation. They did have however, something that I did not have with all of my wealthy means and they did not consider it that much of a blessing…they could read the signs.

They knew what was going on because they understood the language, read the paper, understood the news anchor etc. It was too much to ask someone, even my wife what was going on.

What happened this last Memorial Day was a strange thing for me. I forgot to put my flag out in it’s holder in the front of my house. Several people commented on it near where I now live alone. They said you put it out everyday and on memorial day you do not put your flag out.

I was so ashamed that I had forgotten to place my flag in it’s stand where it belongs because things just come up. People asked me if I was a communist since I spent three years in China. With the brain injury I had last year I am surprised that I could remember anything at all. I just forgot!

Just so I do not forget again I leave it out all the time now. Maybe I should get a Christian flag and place that a little higher than the American flag, since I consider myself a citizen of that kingdom even more. I do not need visas, or go through customs to be that kind of citizen.