Twenty-four hours of American praise

It is no secret; I love our great USA. I come by it naturally because my dad, Lee Goble, was a WWII veteran. He taught us to honor our flag, the Star Spangled Banner, and the Pledge of Allegiance. The Fourth of July was always a celebration with no question as to why it was a national holiday.

He purchased the flag pole that is placed on the south side of the Old Carnegie Library where I had my Counseling Center. He said, “I can’t think of anything I would rather spend my money on than Old Glory.” The bronze plaque beside the flag commemorates his military service. No matter where he lived, what he was driving, or where he was fishing, he had the red, white, and blue waving for all to enjoy. My dad was one proud American.

My dad never missed a political election. He had macular degeneration, the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over age 60, so I would drive him to his polling place, and go inside the voting booth with him to mark his ballet because he could not read the words. It would not take long, he was not bipartisan.

Because of my upbringing, I am very disappointed in people who complain about life in America. Some can find fault with most everything; federal, state, and local government, public schools, social security, police departments, road maintenance, etc. If America is so terrible, I wonder why they don’t move. It would surely improve my mental health if I did not have to hear or read about their misery, dissatisfaction, and critical judgment.

I have traveled to many parts of this world, and I am always thrilled to step onto American soil when my vacation ends. I have experienced nothing, anywhere that compares to the people, air quality, freedom, services, information, lodging, entertainment, or safety that we enjoy in the United States. We are not perfect, but we are far better than most alternatives.

I ask everyone reading my blog today to be grateful and respectful respect for Veteran’s Day. For twenty-four hours, do not contribute to any negative conversation concerning America. Instead, tell people what you appreciate; it will improve your mental health too!

Let us all practice what my mom would say, “Rush, if you don’t have something good to say, shut-up!”

Until the next time: Live while you live!