Celebration Day 250

Today we celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States’ existence as a country. We have come along way, and not without our struggles. But we have made it as a nation, as a country, and perhaps sometimes surprisingly, as a people. In this current day and age, it would seem on the surface that we are more divided than ever, that we have become more polarised and divided in our opinions and political leanings. Yet, I believe that we still have it within us to survive another 250 years as a people and country, we just need to travel more, not outside our borders, but within them.

I have have always loved traveling. Ever since I was a little kid and my parents would take my on vacation to different parts of the country to now when I am doing the same with my wife and children, traveling has been in my bones. For me, it’s not just the beautiful vistas and sights to be seen in the United States, but the people who populate this areas and call them home. I have always reveled in the views, rising early to catch the sunrises, traipsing through thick woods and long trails to get to the unique overlook, but I’ve also talked extensively with people. Just ask my wife and kids and they will tell you if they can’t find me, I’m probably off talking to someone somewhere.

What have I learned? Despite the jobs that people do and a little about the lives they live, I’ve learned that we have a lot more in common than we have differences. We all have a right hand and a left hand, not just one, and while we may have different opinions on the way things should be and how we get there, we often times share similar struggles. We may both have kids who are Type 1 diabetic (which I do), we all struggle with getting older, with our kids getting older and how to introduce technology to them. We all have jobs that we may or may not like. We will struggle with sickness and death as some point. But we will all also celebrate the 250th birthday of country. We all celebrate the birthdays of our family members. We are all human and citizens of this country (if you are in fact reading this in the United States).

So maybe what we all need to do is travel a little more, get a different perspective, and realise that we are all in those boat together and we should all be rowing in the same direction, towards unity and prosperity. Talk to others, be humble, and be kind. We only have one life to live, why waste it being angry at others and bitter at life and our country. Let’s all move forward on this July 4th and celebrate together.