Blogger Buddies,
A fellow blogger buddy (props to my home girl - the Ever Fabulous, Beautiful, Intelligent, and always Thought-Provoking D'Arcy) forwarded the below email to me. It really resonated with me.
No matter WHO you're voting for, take a moment to be thankful what a great country we live in and take a moment to be thankful for all the things, as Americans, that we take for granted!
As an immigrant to this country I envy that you all have the ability next Tuesday to vote. I received a phone call today from my brother, who lives in South Africa. Last night people attempted to break into their home. Let me set the picture for you. My brother's home is behind an eight foot fence with electronic gates, there are gates leading to all the doors and then safety gates on the doors, the windows have bars on them, it really does look like Fort Knox. A while back I bought my brother a trellis gate for their back door, this is the gate that I feel saved their lives, they could not open the gate. In South Africa if you are burgaled, or car jacked, they kill you, they don't just tie you up. In this country I don't think people truly know what fear is, fear to walk outside, get in your car, go to the grocery store, fear for your children and their safety. I look across the parking lot and know that if I choose, I can walk to Target and not even second guess my safety. Freedom to me is watching your children play in the yard or at the park, taking a walk in your neighborhood at the end of a long day, taking a bicycle ride to the Nature Conservancy and letting your child walk to a friends home. I know that right now the economy is on everyone's mind, but we can have all the money in the world and not be free. When you cast your vote on Tuesday, think of me, my family and the so many other out there that don't enjoy what you have in this great country. On a side note, thank you, thank you for allowing me to be a part of this country, to be a part of your freedom and for giving me the opportunity to raise my son as an American.
3 weeks ago
5 comments:
I tell my girls all the time how lucky we are just to be BORN in this country. Our lives would be so different any where else.
Such a shame to live in fear. What a nightmare. I feel for them.
I enjoyed reading this post. And I fell in love with the puppy in the sidebar.
I am doing something different on my Gordon, Ohio blog. I set out to photograph and describe every house in the village where I was born.
Gordon, Ohio
Couldn't imagine living like that. Really puts it into perspective. Yes our economy is shit, but we can hopefully recover from that. There's no recovering from losing your loved ones in those terrible attacks your friend describes.
Yes, this is a powerful message, one that I will share again and again.
I see that this year, more than others I have seen, people are actually getting out to vote, it's thrilling to me.
So many people in America do not understand how good we have it. I think it should be a requirement for everyone at a certain age to go live somewhere else for 6 months or a year. Really, there is no better place to be.
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