Sixteen years ago we proved that we are America strong, America compassionate, America resilient, America united, America tough, America protective.
A group of fanatics set about to bring us to our knees in fear. But instead of creating terror, they unleashed the American spirit.
God HAS blessed America–through its people.
Love him or hate him, agree with him or not, trust him or not–as of noon today, Donald J. Trump is President of the United States.
We are all Americans, who pride ourselves on being fair-minded and willing to give people a chance. Let’s come together and do just that, give him a chance to demonstrate that he is truly a President for all the people and has our country as his top priority. Once we see what he actually does we can react by expressing our displeasure (and pressuring our lawmakers to do something about it) or give credit where credit is due.
Our nation is divided and angry enough. Giving President Trump the opportunity to prove himself and his intentions is not only less divisive but is also the American ideal.
I USED TO pride myself on my logic. No more. Not since yesterday.
You see, I’m one of those people who isn’t fond of football, even the Super Bowl, not even the half-time show. But I like to watch the commercials–mainly to see how, if I had $5 million, I could fill 30 seconds. What I did this year was record the game for later viewing (and for skipping through to catch the ads).
Before that, though, I recorded Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials 2016. That’s what I watched yesterday. Sounds logical so far, right? I thought it was. Until I realized something: I was zipping through the program’s commercials to watch what? Commercials!
Sigh……
New Year’s Resolution: This year I will buy products that will last and rent items I’ll use only once or twice, and I will take pride in the resulting extra space in my home and at the landfill.
[For more easy, money-saving, earth-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/view/7000 or your favorite e-book seller and download to your computer or e-book device. Totally free, with no strings attached.]
It’s the season of Gay Pride and Disability Pride and Italian Pride, etc. I trouble with all of that. I don’t think that an accident of birth or some other factor I had no control over is pride that I’ve earned. Why should I be proud that I’m a woman, heterosexual, disabled, white, a victim of a crime in my childhood, or anything else I didn’t chose, earn, or accomplish? Yes, I admit to some pride when it comes to my learning to adapt to negative aspects of the above–and to some shame when I didn’t adapt in an honorable way. I feel pride, though, for things that I worked for and accomplished, or ways I made a positive difference in this world: as a teacher, writer, mother, wife, friend, advocate, volunteer, and good example.
Everyone has something in life to overcome, be it homelessness, un/under employment, poverty, bad parenting, illness, lack of education, a disability (physical, intellectual, emotional, age-related), extreme shyness…. If I’m caught in poverty, I don’t feel Poverty Pride; if I’m able to help myself out of poverty, I’m entitled to feel pride of success. Apply this to all situations.
In other words, it isn’t what we’re born into or what happens to us that earns us pride. It’s how we handle life itself–and interact with those sharing this Earth–that lets us carry the ultimate sign: “Human Pride.”