Its Memorial Day weekend. I hope you are with family, friends and loved ones, enjoying good times. Millions in the good ole U.S. of A. will be outdoors grilling today.
Burgers, brats and buns will be just part of the wide variety of lunch and dinner fare from sea to shining sea. But what is it that makes this day special?
What is it that makes us so fortunate to be Americans?
I’m not going to pretend that the U.S. is perfect or that we are living in perfect times. I’m not perfect, you likely aren’t either, and so it goes without saying that our country isn’t perfect. But in my mind and heart, I know we are living in what arguably is the greatest nation the world has ever known.
What makes us so fortunate to be Americans?
Historically, we have enjoyed the blessings of freedom.
We have benefited from free enterprise and the entrepreneurial spirit.
Americans have benefited from a ‘can do’ approach to life. Be it threats during the Cold War, World Wars I or WWII or going back to the fantastic odds of gaining our independence from England over 2 centuries ago, we faced those challenges or threats and overcame them. So are we able to overcome new challenges today? You bet.
We watched astronauts ride up on elevators as they mounted rockets that took them to the moon and back.
We conquered the skies over a century ago at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with man’s first powered flight.
Our fellow citizens are also inventors and systematizers. Americans harnessed the power of electricity and the electric light, popularized radio, we made television common place, cars, the internet, cell phones and…
…let us not forget, affordable quality living made possible through factory building!
I won’t try to compete with our own Inspiration blog post for this Memorial Day weekend.
What I will do is ponder how fortunate I am to be here in the United States. I will think about the soldiers, sailors, aviators, marines, and myriads of support people who guard us or have laid down their lives to protect this nation from invasion and oppression. I’ll think about the law enforcement, firefighters and first responders who keep the peace and protect limb and property.
I’ll think about the opportunities we have to serve our fellow Americans through our great Industry. I’ll thank you for the opportunity to share in this adventure of making the renaissance of manufactured housing, modular and pre-fab construction a reality.
Beyond the burgers, brats and buns…
…I look back, look around and look up and thank God for this grand Country. I’m eager to take up the challenges and opportunities we share in this great Industry. We can do it! Why? Because that is America’s heritage! Let us not forget it, and let us draw strength and courage from all that we have and are, so that we can truly be ‘all that we can be!’
