7 Wonderful Things to Celebrate on our Nation’s 250th Anniversary

Remember how tenuous everything was in the early days of our nation. The founding fathers would probably be amazed that, in spite of all the troubles and challenges over the years, their bold experiment in democracy is still going 250 years later! (And is, in fact, the oldest democracy in the world!) That is truly something to celebrate! At the same time, keeping our nation going depends on each of us. I believe one duty that all Americans have, in exchange for the multitude of blessings and benefits living in our country provides, is to work to help make our nation stronger, happier, healthier, and operating more cohesively and productively. Our country only functions properly when we help it to do so.

➢ Civility . We need to be able to disagree with each other without hostility or violence. ➢ Finding middle ground. I find it arrogant of both our political parties to think they have the corner on all of the right solutions to our problems. The truth to any dispute usually lies somewhere in the middle, and we need to become much better at finding this seemingly hidden territory. ➢ Taking responsibility. I’m very tired of all of the finger-pointing from both political parties. They both share responsible for our present woes, in particular because they refuse to search for that middle ground. Remember that politicians like to pose the other party as enemies in order to get elected. We are not enemies, we are fellow citizens! ➢ Elected leaders with backbone. In my view, no politician is “worth his or her salt” unless they are willing to stand up to their own party at times. Dispense with the continual pandering! ➢ Critical thinking skills and thinking for oneself. This is gravely needed, not only for political officials, but also for the general electorate. Following the mob rule of either party is what helped get up to our present level of divisiveness. ➢ A correct understanding the concept of freedom. In our current political landscape, a true understanding of freedom has been lost. Freedom does not equate with selfishness nor individual convenience. It is also not unlimited. My freedom only goes so far until it backs up against your freedom. Both need to be respected. ➢ Knowledge of our history. One of the reasons we keep repeating past mistakes is that Americans in general are woefully ignorant of our own history. We need to have a much better grasp of our past in order to create a better future.

Direct from the Constitution, these are the reasons the founders gave for creating it in the first place. They provide us with a primary, impartial tool to see how our republic is faring. 1) Form a more perfect Union. How are we doing in this area? Are we united? Are we working together well? One could make a strong point that our states are doing much better in remaining united than is our general populace. There are far too many divisions within us, and we need to do a much better job of remembering and accentuating the many common threads that unite us. 2) Establish Justice. Is justice being guaranteed for all of our citizens? Are our laws being carried out well? Are our officials and administrators governing in a just manner? 3) Insure domestic Tranquility. Is there peace within our borders? Are our people dwelling in safety? 4) Provide for the common Defence. (I capitalized it here, although it is not so in the original. Perhaps that indicates it was not of as high an importance to the founders as the other areas.) Notice also that solely defense (current spelling) is mentioned. There is absolutely no mention of offense or of aggressive behavior. Our nation was trying to escape from that, not replicate it. How is our national defense? Is our military strong and capable? 5) Promote the general Welfare. How are our citizens doing? Are they healthy and productive? Are they well-educated? Are they contributing to our country? Are they free to work toward and pursue their personal happiness? I also believe this area could be broadened to evaluate the general welfare of our assets and institutions. For example, how is the welfare of our land and resources? What about our financial resources/treasury? 6) Secure the Blessings of Liberty. I believe this refers to how well we are implementing the intent and directions of the Constitution. This depends on how carefully our institutions are securing these and how well our citizens are backing them up. For example, how informed are our citizens when casting their votes? Are we electing officials who are governing well? There is a quote from long ago that says that people get the government they deserve. If we are electing state and federal politicians who are not leading our country with wisdom, justice and fairness, at least some of the onus for that is directly on us.

Creating something colorful! Doing scenic jigsaw puzzles! Going through your bathroom cabinets/drawers and pulling out stray lotions and creams. It's dry skin season - slather these on and give your skin a treat! Doing the same thing with shampoos and conditioners. Rotating through different varieties will help pull your hair out of the winter doldrums! Digging through your music, pulling out favorites you haven't listened to in awhile and dancing to your heart's content!

I'm also finding that winter is an excellent time for reading the classics. They're classics for a reason! A great reference list for finding these titles is 100 Must-Read Classics by Goodreads Listopia.