Sincerely, A Very Proud Egyptian

I've never been much of a patriotic person; I've always felt like rather cynical when hearing the national anthem and I never once truly felt that not "saluting the flag" (I am not sure if that's the correct translation but that's the only term that came to mind) is disrespectful. I won't deny that I loved Egypt--I always have--but I still dreamed of working in another country.

My father has drilled it into my head from an early age that Egypt is not a country. He doesn't mean it offensively; he only means that with everything happening in Egypt, his definition of a decent life in it was far-fetched. He believed that if we could barely live that life now, then how would things be like in 10 years? That's why he's always encouraged me to immigrate and work abroad. He believed it was the only way I could live properly.

I look into my dad's eyes now and I see hope. Hope that Egypt will, God willing, change and that I won't have to live in some European country just to get a salary that matches my education. I look at myself and I see another person. I get touched by patriotic songs now; I can't not be after what's been happening these past two weeks. I'd gone for three quarters of my life believing that Egyptians, although kind-hearted, were destined to live a life of misery, oppression and defeat and I did not want that for myself. Now, I know I was wrong. I know that these people truly are the best in the world because these people (myself very very very VERY proudly included) have faced hatred, adversity, lies, deceit and corruption with bravery, loyalty, solidarity, patriotism, sarcasm, jokes and creativity. We've shown the world what it means to 'walk like an Egyptian'. We gave a whole new meaning and a whole new depth to a country that already had so many buried treasures (and no, I am not referring to Ancient Egyptian tombs).

For the first time in my life, I imagine walking in Tahrir square with my children, telling them of the great revolution that started on January 25th, 2011 and gave them the ability to live in their homeland. But I won't tell them that it's a political revolution because it's not; it's a revolution of life. It changed mine, and I'm sure it changed--literally--MILLIONS of others.