Goodbye America

Goodbye America.  At least goodbye to the America that I knew.  This is not a political statement or a radical one, simply my own realization of the current changing of the guard.  And this isn’t the first time.  Over the course of our relatively short history our country has ebbed and flowed to a unique rhythm.  One that began as an act in many ways of rebellion.  Now please hear me before you read any further, I am not here to debate or discuss our country’s origin story.  I am simply acknowledging that our beginnings were not easily acquired.  Freedom is not easily acquired.  Freedom of religion, freedom of decision, freedom of the press, freedom from injustice.  None of these things are acquired by a vote or litigation.  While those things can often help carry on a push for freedoms, our freedoms and rights begin in the hearts of people.  Right now, there are a lot of people in our nation whose hearts are broken.  Whose hearts are angry.  Whose hearts are confused.  You can agree or disagree on the why, but the fact remains that the soul of humanity in this country is struggling.  Today for many was a day of celebration, and for many it was a day of struggle.  I traditionally love this holiday.  The country pride, the remembrance, the flag, the parades, the fireworks, and hot dogs and barbeques, I love it all.  And yet this year couldn’t pass for me without acknowledging the pain of a country I truly and dearly love and also acknowledging the pain of the people in it.  We as a nation have become so quick to judge our fellow brothers based on sameness that we have stopped learning from each other.  We have become so quick to speak we have stopped listening.  I may not agree with you or your political stance.  You may not agree with me.  But let me listen.  Let me learn.  Let me hear your heart, hear your pain.  As much damage as we have had in this country, we also have an opportunity that society’s around the world and across history would have given so much to have.  An opportunity that has been given to us because while we may not be perfect we are a free nation. A nation that men and women of all races, creeds, and nationalities have shed blood, sweat, and tears to defend and protect. Notice I didn’t say perfect and I did not say that we are not inherently flawed, but in the eyes of the world stage we live in a free country. And we can share a front yard.  We can shake one another’s hands.  For so many reasons, mostly a complicated life I really have not had people to my house in 5-6 years.  During covid the happiest accident has occurred in my life.  It began with some friends needing the chance to see a real face, a connection.  A touch of humanity.  It started with a few lawn chairs, a picnic blanket, and some ice cream.  What it has turned into is a sweet community, different weeks, different people literally sharing (and distancing) in my front yard.  There are no decorations or bells, or whistles and the only real rule is that you can share your thoughts, your opinions, and you can disagree, but you have to listen.  Show respect to your fellow man.  The America I knew as a child is not the America I see right now as an adult.  And you may not agree with anything this country has going on, or has to offer right now, but let me offer you this.  I am thankful for you.  For my friends peacefully protesting I am thankful for you.  For those of you celebrating today with loud explosions pops and bangs, I am thankful for you.  To those who chose to not celebrate this day, I am thankful for you.  I am thankful that however messed up and broken and imperfect our system is that this is where I live.  And I would like to offer you a challenge in this changing season.  I invite you to shake a hand.  Don’t wait for the other man, hold yours out.  Ask the uncomfortable questions and listen to the often-uncomfortable answers.  Get to know the people around you, no matter how different you may seem.  Quit reducing our humanity down to a sound bite on twitter.  Pull up a piece of ground and share a seat and let’s begin knowing each other’s hearts instead of just our political stance.  And maybe, just maybe, even if it’s just in your yard we can begin to heal our land.