I hate to be such a pest…however, it’s time for a reminder.
While you’re sipping your morning coffee and bellyaching about having to wear a mask or having to stay at home or not being able to take that cruise or long-awaited vacation – or because Costco is out of toilet paper – consider the bigger sacrifices made to ensure we get to breathe free. Consider how much Americans had to do without during WWII and the Great Depression – and consider for moment how fortunate we are today. We’re not dealing with extensive shortages, paper and rubber drives, gas rationing, or blackouts.
We have it damned good.
No one really wants to be reminded of it – but, times have been way tougher and for far longer than we’ve had to endure this year. We’ve had a few months of inconvenience, hardships, and what I consider small disappointments considering what previous generations have been through. WWII hit overnight. Men – largely – were whisked off to war in two theaters a world apart. All we had was the mail to keep in touch if it came at all.
Telephone? Forget it…
We did without our loved ones for four long years. Many never came home. They were laid to rest in foreign lands – or there wasn’t enough left of them to honor and bury. Thousands came home permanently damaged physically and mentally – for life. They wept for what they lost in battle. They grieved their losses in ways none of us can fathom. A whole bunch of them built the America we have today. If you bump into someone in their latter years wearing a hat honoring their unit – give thanks and be grateful for the sacrifices they made for all of us.
If you are suddenly unemployed, I feel your pain. My prayers are always with each of you in hopes your lives improve and you can get back on the rails. I have been through layoffs and I have had my share of financial hardship in a lifetime. I find it is best to pause and count my blessings because I have many.
Bask in the glow of your blessings. Thank God for the people who love and need you. It is good to be needed – even when you’d like to escape to the closet and scream. Take an accounting of how fortunate we are as free Americans.
Stop all this political infighting and remember – we are AMERICANS. We are free due to the incredible sacrifices The Greatest Generation – and millions of our ancestors made to make a better world for us. Close your eyes. Say a prayer. And, remember those who are out there all over the place working hard to keep our world a safer place.
Cops, Firefighters, Men & Women in the armed forces, and healthcare professionals working grueling hours around the clock without time off – just for us. For humanity…
Don’t let the headlines sour you on law enforcement. There are way more good cops than bad ones. Every time a police officer dies or is maimed for life in the line of duty, a piece of us dies.
And one more thing – why are the races battling one another? We’re born to this world as we are in all our colors and beliefs. Let us not forget those who’ve paved the way toward less racism and equality. God bless all of them. In America – we’re all supposed to be created equal. Let us stop dwelling on the wrongs of our ancestors and – instead – focus on what has been done right. They left us the greatest element of all – freedom.
Gang – the Post War years have been the best in our Nation’s history. We just have to keep working at what we’re supposed to be as our founding fathers envisioned. Their vision wasn’t perfect and we remain a work in progress. We’re known around the world for our never ending self examination. Let us remain the safe haven we’ve always been for those who come from troubled lands yearning to breathe free.
Let’s keep pressing toward the mark…
Boomer Journey... 