'Twas not hubris...

I think that the main reason for the Xerxes incident at Thermopylae was not, in fact, hubris.

It was a simple miscalculation on his part to assume that the Spartans would bow to his wishes.
Alright, he managed to get a major part of his attacking force decimated, but at the cost of scandal and shame... Humiliation and finally defeat at the spear-points of the entire Spartan army.
Where 300 tried SO HARD and SO LONG, but failed... The Spartan army was victorious.

What were the words... "Remember Us".

DO we?

Or for that matter... Take us Indian Hindustani Bharatis...
Do we remember the sacrifices of our nation? Do we carry those ideals still? Those ideals for which our men, women and children were attacked viciously?
I'm not talking about Mahatma Gandhi or any political leader such as Nehru or Bose...

I'm talking about the REAL grassroot level heroes... Bhagat Singh and countless, nameless, faceless others...

I don't know why I'm in such a patriotic state of mind today, which is VERY UNUSUAL for me.
But heck. I'm ashamed of the way I live my life as an Indian.

What IS Indian in me right now?

I have difficulties in speaking Hindi. If I continue in Hindi for too long, I eventually mess up.
I think in English. I speak English. I read, write and breathe the English language.

Indian customs don't interest me. I don't go to any temples. I don't like Indian weddings.

India as a country is lost on me.

Its a profound sorrow that I feel. At my utter ignorance. Who am I?
A stranger in a strange land.
This place is my home. MY COUNTRY.
But there is no feeling of belonging burning in my heart.
Perhaps its all relative.

I never wanna shame the blood in my veins/
and bring pain to my sweet grandfather's face/
in his resting place/I made haste to learn/
and not waste everything my forefathers earned in tears/
for my culture...

I'm so sorry... But this is who I am.