Lately I've started thinking of how much Sierra Leonean pride I have and get excited about my country. It got me thinking if I lived in the country, if my pride and joy for Sierra Leone would have been the same. When I was living in Sierra Leone, I absolutely loved the country and culture but I do not remember being this patriotic at all. But on the other end, I lived in Sierra Leone when I was younger and below age 12, so there was not much for me to have done which were life-changing actions for the country. However with the resources technology has provided in today's society, younger kids can achieve excellence and age is not an issue.
My big curiousity right now is that if I currently lived in Sierra Leone, if I'd have been so passionate about the nation as I am living outside the nation. I have always had pride for my country because I participated in a lot of social and cultural events that told Sierra Leonean stories in forms of dance and plays, but during those times I never felt a need to but purely did it for entertainment purposes. But now, I have come to realize that several things I do for Sierra Leone are not only for entertainment purposes but also educational purposes. A part of me sometimes feels obligated to tell the stories of Sierra Leoneans, and I really do not have a problem with that. I wonder if I am the only person part of the diaspora that feels that way.
Yes, I still do performances and educational sessions about Sierra Leone and enjoy them just as I did when I was 10, but now I have intentions of also educating the world about my home and telling alternative stories of my country besides the ones that are told on CNN and other international sources.
However, if there is one thing I'd like to change about the nation with regards to this consciousness-raising is that patriotism and nation-pride need to be discussed more among the people, especially the younger generation in the country. I felt that I was rarely told of how blessed and great Sierra Leone was when I lived there, and I only came to realize what a great nation it is after I left. Yes, Sierra Leone is not a country that one can live in and think of it as a bed of roses because there are things that need work to be done, however, the things we do have are blessings and we must appreciate them because other countries long and wish to have them.
Sierra Leone gospel songs
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