America, the beautiful. She was built on blood, sweat, and tears… In a time when she was kicked, spit at, and stepped on, she proved victorious in all her historical persecutions to eventually become the greatest country in the world. How fortunate are we?
Having lived a great deal of my childhood overseas, I was exposed to many different ways of life, foreign cultures, and unconventional laws. Even as a young kid, I could comprehend the diversity in my surroundings and in the natives I shared those spaces with. Those spaces were their homes, for generations before them and for generations to come, but if you even slightly presented them with the idea of opportunity, they would all collectively drop everything they know for a chance to come to America.
Now I understand not everyone has a similar story (alternative childhood, I know), but that alone should speak volumes about The United States. It’s where new life begins. It’s where dreams come alive. It’s where established families are willing to unroot their entire lives and livelihoods to better their odds/circumstances. America is not only the lottery ticket, it’s all the winning numbers.
We have freedom. And independence. We have armed forces who stop at nothing to keep our homeland safe and secure. These are liberties not to ever be taken lightly. For some, these may seem as perpetual expectations or no more than a history lesson, but the truth of it all is most of us have no idea just how good we’ve got it. If I learned one thing from my time overseas, it’s that one size doesn’t fit all. Some of the people I encountered will, sadly, “never get ahead”. And that’s not for lack of talent, money, or trying… it’s simply because of where they live.
On this 4th of July holiday, I implore you to celebrate your freedoms and use them for good. Be an American that the Founding Fathers would be proud of. And if you ever need to take the edge off- Go watch a baseball game, eat a cheeseburger, hug your neighbor, and crank up some Springsteen… it won’t be long and you’ll remember why you’re here. Happy Independence Day, USA!