What I am Searching For

I am searching for something and I'm not sure if it's an idea, a place or a way of life that does not exist any more, or if it does, it's in small pockets across the country. I see it in people I know and I sometimes meet people  that personify it.

It's a place where folks still love America and are not ashamed to say so. Where children can play outside til the sun goes down and a mother need not panic. She knows they are safe.  It is a place where children still have respect for adults. It is a place where adults have earned the respect. In this place time moves just a little slower.

There is a place out there where a man's word is his bond and a handshake is what seals the deal. It is a place where when a man and woman say to each other “Til death do us part”, they really mean it.

It is a place where a teacher, a police officer or a neighbor is still someone that you can trust with your son or daughter. Where adults behave like adults, not teenagers. Where not everyone wants to be famous for doing nothing. It is a place where money is important but not more important than people.

It is a place where families still get together on Sunday evenings for a good home cooked family meal made with love by mama.  It is a place where children listen when grandma and grandpa share their their memories about the way things used to be.

It is a place where a man can still find work, and be grateful for the opportunity to earn a paycheck. In this place men can debate their differences in politics, or anything else for that matter, and still remain friends.

It is also an idea that I am searching for. The idea that we still believe we are a great nation and that greatness is still part of our future. It is also the idea that a nation, like it's citizens, remain humble, remain giving and perhaps more than anything else, remain forgiving.

Above all else, it is a place where a man and woman can choose their own destiny, find their own future. In this place a man or woman, can reap the benefits of hard work. It is also a place where accountability and responsibility fall squarely on your shoulders and no others.

In the America that I still believe exists, men, women and children, still respect  Freedom and the American flag and those who have served their country. They can still pray to their God, without any form of reprisal, criticism or worse. You are also free to do none of that because your right to choose has already been paid for in full by some one that has fought and died for that right.

In the America that I am searching for, All men and women, regardless of race, ethnicity or religion, really are created equal and all have a right to the American dream. This is the America that I believe in. In the America of my dreams, no one can remember what the words hate or racism mean. They have been forgotten. In this place no child knows what it is like to be unloved, unwanted or hungry.

You should know that if you are my friend, whether I see you every day or not, you are my friend because I see these qualities and hopes in you. If you are a family member I already know where you stand. I am grateful for all that we have, at home, in our country and in our hearts.