When people ask the polite and ritualistic ‘How are you?’ question, my go-to answer is ‘I woke up in America and that is a pretty good start to any day.’ Yes, there are a lot of things I wish were different/better about my beloved country, however, just do a quick thought experiment and think of all the places in the world you most definitely do not want to wake up in.
I embrace Ronald Reagan’s famous quote: “There is nothing wrong with America that can not be fixed with what is right with America.”
I am the descendent of immigrants: my great grandfather came over from Ireland in 1866; it was a time before visas but I don’t think the lack there of would have stopped him from seeking a better life for him and his family-to-be so I tend toward a ‘big tent’ philosophy: there is room for anyone willing to work hard and earn their slice of the pie.
My fondest dream is that America be a shining light to the whole world, representing the best of what is possible. To that end, I will do my part, I will pack my own weight, I will be kind and thoughtful, I will not be judgmental, I can disagree without making others wrong or bad.
Closing Quotes:
“Where liberty dwells, there is my country.” – Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790
“We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.” – William Faulkner, 1897-1962, 3x Pulitzer Prize
“National pride is to countries what self-respect is to individuals: a necessary condition for self-improvement.” – Richard Rorty, 1931–2007, historian/philosopher
“True patriotism springs from a belief in the dignity of the individual, freedom and equality not only for Americans but for all people on earth.” – Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962
As always, I share what I most want and need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier
Note: Every effort has been made to properly source any 3rd person material. I am, however, a voracious reader. If anyone finds any unattributed material, pls let me know asap and I will be delighted to give credit where credit is due.
“All intelligent thoughts have already been thought; what is necessary is only to try to think them again.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832