In this Article:
- Why is it time to reawaken love and respect for our country?
- What values and freedoms can we be grateful for in America?
- How can attitude and behavioral changes restore belief in national unity?
- Why is taking responsibility for our country’s future so important?
- How can reflecting on the past inspire a renewed sense of national pride?
It’s Time to Reawaken Our Love and Respect for America
by Lyle Greenfield.
“I don’t believe things are ever gonna change. The politicians are all bought and paid for, so what’s the point? It just makes me mad as hell.”
YEAH, I GET IT~ IT’S OFTEN HARD NOT TO FEEL THAT WAY~ Which makes it hard to even comment on the “state of the union,” because it feels as difficult to understand, or deal with, as a million-acre wildfire (California, 2020) or a monster hurricane (Katrina, 2008).
How do you begin to fight a political-cultural storm when the damage is internal, seemingly invisible? So we carry on with our distrust, hardened views, and belief that things are never gonna change.
But... Things Do Change
It might be helpful to reflect on times in our history when things that were never gonna happen suddenly happened, either through an individual’s genius and determination or a nation’s resolve. Humans would never be able to fly. Someone’s heart could never be transplanted into another’s body. No one could ever walk on the moon. A Black child could never attend a white school.
The only blueprint for those things existed in the dreams, beliefs, and the will of the ones who made them happen. For the challenge before us—restoring our belief in the ideal of “one nation”—we actually have the blueprint: our Constitution and its Amendments.
A little over a year ago I randomly caught a segment of NBC’s Today Show on what they called “Motivational Monday.” The guest was motivational speaker and author Dr. Delatorro McNeal, whom I’d never heard of before. He wore a pink suit, had a tightly sculpted fade haircut and grey beard, and his energy was off the charts.
Don't Be A Hater...
I must admit, as skeptical as I can be about self-help “gurus,” I was riveted by the man’s irrepressible demeanor. He joined hosts Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones, and Savannah Guthrie and quickly launched into his version of the “becoming your best self ” story.
“The first thing I do every morning is I write in a gratitude journal. Eight things that I’m grateful for before the day even starts ... because here’s what I’ve learned: Our mind is just like a radio. Whatever station we listen to is the frequency we receive. So when I tune my mind to gratitude the only thing that can show up in my day is more things to be grateful for. But if I tune my mind to what’s not working, how bad life is....”
Okay, normally I’m rolling my eyes at this point, but I started thinking about it, realizing I rarely spend any part of any day focused on what I’m grateful for. Then I thought, ‘Don’t be a hater, Lyle—start writing down eight things you’re grateful for every day and see what happens.’ And I did. And kept it up for a while, then somewhat sporadically.
There was a lot of duplication from day to day: Grateful for my daughter, for my wife, and our grandkids; grateful for the rain when we needed it, a sunny day, a call with an old friend, a day when I got some part of this book written. Usually nothing too remarkable, but it felt good to reflect on some positive things for a change.
Attitude and Behavioral Change is Needed
So am I suggesting we all start writing in a gratitude journal? No. But we have referred to authors and motivational speakers before who’ve suggested that what our country needs beyond certain institutional changes is attitude and behavioral change on the part of our leaders, and on our part as well. There are some bad habits that they, and we, need to shake.
Reflecting on a broader scale, we might feel grateful that we’re not living in a totalitarian state, where our individual rights and freedoms would barely exist. Where an opposition voice could be silenced, sent to a distant prison, and murdered. Though life would be a lot less complicated in such a state.
Think about it: few decisions to make, no elections to participate in. The one ruler or one group makes the laws, which are enforced without nuance or interpretation. Grateful, then, to be living in a democracy, with a government “by the people.”
We have freedoms—all of us—that can’t be taken away. Though, as we’ve seen throughout our history, each generation has defended—sometimes given their lives for—those very freedoms anew. It’s always required a commitment to and belief in the promise of our Founding Documents. Always required participation and willingness to do the work. And we’re grateful to those who’ve done that work. And those who keep doing it every day.
What Are You Grateful for About This Country?
Hmm. What if a “gratitude journal” asked us to list only things about this country that we’re grateful for? I have to admit, mine would probably end up sounding pretty corny. It would include, of course: our Constitution and the rights we’ve memorialized through its Amendments.
And then: Grateful to live in a country where so many different musical genres were born: blues, soul, jazz, country, rock ‘n’ roll, rap.... And grateful that legends like B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Duke Ellington, Dolly Parton, Bruce Springsteen, and the Notorious B.I.G. were all born in the USA.
Grateful to be living in a land with so much uniquely beautiful geography, “from sea to shining sea.” And for the Department of the Interior’s “America the Beautiful” initiative, with the goal of conserving at least 30% of our lands and waters by 2030. Told you the list would get corny. (Too bad the DOI can’t restore our broken politics and repair the cultural divisions among us.)
The Bottom Line
LET’S PEEL AWAY SOME LAYERS FROM THIS IDEA OF Uniting the States of America and get to the heart of it. The things that are most important to us, from our precious children and closest friends to our homes and valued possessions, we care for them. And when they’re hurt or broken, we comfort them, we repair them. We don’t ignore them.
There’s no question that the majority of us do love this extremely diverse country, though that love may have been lying dormant for a while. It’s time to reawaken that love, and respect, for our country. We can do so much better than bitch and moan about the way things are or seem to be. And we must. That’s our job.
Let’s accept that responsibility for ourselves and demand it of the ones we elected to lead us. And remember, we’re doing this for your grandkids, and your sons and daughters, and for the newlyweds. And out of respect for the ones who gave their lives so we could be here today, having this discussion.
With Respect and Love
JUST AS I WAS FINISHING THIS BOOK THE 66TH ANNUAL Grammy Awards came on the air. February 5th, 2024. I wasn’t expecting it, but suddenly heard the familiar opening acoustic guitar notes of “Fast Car,” the poignant folk hit written and recorded by Tracy Chapman in 1988. 35 years later, in 2023, it was covered by country music singer Luke Combs, for whom it became a Number One Country hit and winner of the CMA Award for Song of the Year.
Now, these two very different performers were sharing the Grammy stage, singing “Fast Car” as a duet, each looking at the other with respect and love. My eyes started to well up, watching this small Black woman with her elegant grey dreadlocks and this big, bearded white guy, recreating her work of art together.
Their voices blended perfectly, each with the sense of hope and longing the poetic words evoke. The audience was mesmerized, as if listening to a sermon in a church service, and at the conclusion of the performance immediately rose for a standing ovation. Luke Combs pointed to Tracy Chapman, then bowed to her.
I went to YouTube to view the original video for “Fast Car.” It now has millions of new views, of course, following that Grammy performance. Scrolling through the many comments, this one caught my attention: “I’m a metalhead and not even a fan but that brought my bearded ass to tears.” And I thought, Somewhere in that line is the proof we can do this, if we just hear that voice of America calling to us, “Come back, baby, come back.”
Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Adapted with permission.
Article Source:
BOOK: Uniting the States of America
Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation
by Lyle Greenfield.
Lyle Greenfield's "Uniting the States of America―A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation" is a work of nonfiction and opinion. Incorporating the lessons of history and the ideas and wisdom of many, it is intended as both an educational resource and a call-to-action for citizens concerned about the politically and culturally divided state of our Union. A situation that has raised alarm for the very future of our democracy.
Far from being "alarmist," however, the author proposes common sense solutions to our problems that require simply the decency and will of our elected leaders, and the active participation of our citizens. To that end, he shares the words and beliefs of Americans from across the country, and many walks of life on what must be done to reinvigorate the American ideal and bring us closer together.
For more info and/or to order this book, click here. Also available as a Kindle edition.
About the Author
Lyle Greenfield is a man of many experiences. He’s worked in landscaping, construction, door-to-door sales, and a brewery before starting his career as a copywriter in NYC. He has served as president of the Long Island Wine Council, started a music production company in New York, is a founding member and former president of the Association of Music Producers (AMP). Lyle Greenfield is the author of several books including Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation, which was written with the goal of finding solutions for the current state of political divisiveness in our country. Learn more at lylejgreenfield.com.
Article Recap:
This article discusses the need to reawaken love and respect for our country, focusing on the importance of national unity and reflection on American values. It emphasizes gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy and encourages positive attitude shifts that can rebuild belief in the ideal of “one nation.” The article calls on all citizens to take responsibility for America’s future, urging a renewed sense of respect for our country and its people.
