by Tan Moriarty

I scanned the crowded room of people sitting at wooden tables and benches in the pub at the hiker’s lodge during a recent trip in Glencoe, Scotland.  The musician in the corner, a graying man in his early 70s, donned in plaid, flannel shirt and worn khakis, was asking his audience in a heavy Scottish accent, where we all were from. 

“Let’s see who’s come the farthest?” 

A young woman volunteered she was from New Zealand. Another person was from France, another from Italy. 

“Anyone from the United States?”

My hand shot up, and two men standing the bar said, “Texas.” 

There was low, but audible booing! 

Booing!

Wait, what?

I felt kicked in my gut. I didn’t even bother pipe in that I was from Connecticut.

Then I registered anger. Not for those who showed distain for my country, could I blame them? But, yet again, for the awful leadership of my country and the mess we are in especially because of the current administration.

Part of me wanted to shout out, “I do not represent him or those who are giving us a bad name. I am a good American!”

But I sat there, my pulse racing, sipping my Scottish cask drawn beer.

My husband said, “I knew that was going to happen.”

One of my kids added, “I just tell people I’m from Canada.” 

How sad that my thirty-something kids feel this sort of, what? Disgust? Shame? Even my veteran husband was affected and chose to keep still. 

Maybe I am just naïve? Being booed as an American visiting other country these days shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. We didn’t stay long that night to listen to the music. While we had hiked several miles through beautiful mountain trails that day and were tired, the booing also dampened our evening. 

Thankfully, that remote lodge was the only place and incident throughout our ten-day trip where we encountered anything disparaging being Americans. We found the rest of Scotland to be warm and welcoming. 

The incident has made me think, though. I recalled my first experience of people’s perception of me as an American. I was in northern Italy, becoming acquainted with relatives in 2005. 

 “You are not loud like the Texans on the show Dallas,” a cousin said. She explained Americans were portrayed as wealthy, brassy and toting guns.

I laughed then at that TV image stereotype. 

I am not laughing now.  Instead, I am thinking of how to celebrate our country’s 250^th anniversary, despite the current leadership, the divisions, and the general malaise. 

A friend sent me a photo from 1976 of happy Americans gathered at the Reflecting Pool in D.C. to celebrate our country’s bicentennial.

I remember my own town turned out to celebrate. There was large production at the local high school with pageantry, singing and dancing. Some of my fellow fifth graders and I were chosen to dance an 18^th century minuet, complete with gowns and white wigs! Of course, there were picnics and fireworks. 

Compare these images to Trump’s Freedom 250 Great American State Fair farce in D.C. today. A complete bust with very little attendance because of the sad state of our union.

Yes, there will be other local celebrations on the 4th, but this is a big birthday for us! Things seemed much more subdued.

I don’t want to add more sadness, anger or misery by dwelling on our current government and country’s serious troubles. Nor do I want to come off as a complete Pollyanna saying that everything is great, when clearly, we’ve had better times as a country. All I can do is keep thinking, “This too, shall pass.”

So, despite it all, I plan to focus on things that still make me proud to be an American this July 4, 2026.

1.     Our beautiful lands, parks, mountains, oceans, lakes, rivers and streams.

2.     Our freedom of religion, separation of church and state, free speech

3.     Free public libraries

4.     Our good people: neighbors, organizations, clubs, schools, houses of worship that raise people up and help people in need. 

5.     Our forefathers and foremothers who fought and sacrificed for us.

What can you add to this list? 

Wishing you, and our 250 -year-old care-worn country a happy birthday and healthier future!