Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Is This a Great Country or What?


I read quite often about how happy people are those who are grateful. The key is to be thankful for what you have rather than be upset about what you don't have. It is often hard to stay in a thankful attitude and I'm trying to get better at it everyday. I recently saw a suggestion of starting a photo album on your phone for thankfulness and adding one photo a day of something your are thankful for. Then, you are asked to scroll through those photos on a regular basis to remind yourself of the great things in your life. I started this three days ago and I have two days of photos of my grandkids and today I added a photo of my Evel Knievel coffee mug full of coffee. 

This morning I saw an article on my news feed on my phone about things U.S. citizens miss when they stay overseas for any amount of time. These were things we all take for granted here in this great country and have to be reminded of every once in awhile. One thing was the abundance of choices in our grocery stores. The article stated that often in other countries your choices are severely limited to what it available. Grocery stores in our country, most always, have every kind of fruit and vegetable available year round. Other countries may only have available fruits and vegetables in stock when they are in season in the area. One thing people missed was the comfort food that is available in the U.S. such as hamburgers and fries that might not be available in some countries. Fast food was another thing people missed. Fast food available in other countries is not always the same as in the U.S. even if it is the same franchise. One person missed refried beans and couldn't get them at a Taco Bell in a foreign country. 

A few weeks ago I saw a similar news article about what non U.S. citizens were amazed about in our country. They were amazed at the huge amount of choices in our grocery store. One person was shocked that there was a whole aisle of cereal choices. They were amazed at how much wide open spaces there are in the U.S., such as the open country in the western section of our country. They are amazed at the diversity of our landscape. They are amazed that this country has fabulous beaches, mountains, deserts and all types of terrain and climates. They were amazed at the variety of dining options in this country. They were amazed at the huge servings of food in the restaurants and loved our version of some foreign dishes. The American version of Chinese food was one hit with foreign travelers. Apparently, General Tso chicken is not a normal Chinese dish in China. Foreigners are also amazed at how patriotic Americans are and how friendly they can be to visitors. They are amazed at the size of our homes. And, they are amazed at the work ethic of Americans. 

After reading these two articles, I am reminded of what a great country we live in. I take all of the above for granted most days and should be more aware and more thankful for this environment I grew up in and currently live in. When I get the itch to travel, I think I would love to go on another cruise, a trip to Europe, see the pyramids, etc. When I think about this great country, I realize there is so much here that I have yet to explore. I've seen a lot of the U.S., but I still need to check out the sites in Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. I need to visit St. Augustine, FL, which I just recently learned may be the oldest city in the country. I need to visit the Florida Keys. I need to visit the northeastern states during the fall for leaf peeping. I need to explore Michigan and it's lakes. There is enough travel to keep me busy for a few years without ever leaving this great country.

Sure, this country has it's faults and opportunities for improvement. But overall, we live in the greatest country on the planet and need to be thankful for it. I'm thankful for those things listed above. I'm also thankful of the freedom we have in this country. I'm thankful we are not under attack by military forces and that we have a strong military to deter such aggression. I'm thankful that any one born here today can become President some day, or a teacher, a doctor or anything else they choose to become. 

Do you take our country or the country you live in for granted sometimes? What are you thankful for in this country? If you have lived overseas, what did you miss about the U.S. while you were gone? 

On the topic of being thankful, what do you do to remind yourself to be thankful? A Journal? A photo album? Morning reflection with your coffee?


9 comments:

  1. What a great post! I often think of this sort of thing when others around me talk about how the country is being spoiled due to the political flavor in office. I am happy to live in this country even if I don't agree with the top office or ruling party, because of the many reasons you listed above.

    Two of the things I have missed greatly on my overseas journeys have been access to potable water and free toilet paper. Simple things here but sometimes very hard to come by overseas.

    I think the best way to remind ourselves of how well we have it here is to simply go someplace else where it isn't the case. There are plenty of those sorts of places to choose from.

    Although I hope to do more traveling overseas before I leave this earth, I feel I have so much within our borders that I have yet to see. I have been to 48 states and still feel as if I have only scratched the surface of what there is to see in the vast majority of them. Nothing irks me more than when someone tells me there is nothing to do or see near where they live. I always have found something to enthrall me just about everyplace I look.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are so many hidden gems in this country, that one would be hard pressed to see them all. Even thoroughly exploring one large state takes a lot of time. We spent one year hitting a lot of our local state parks and only saw a few of them. We were surprised at the diversity of landscape just within the borders of Oklahoma.

      Delete
    2. Last year we spent a week in Oklahoma, just because I had only driven through it and never really stopped to look around. It was a blank spot on my mental map. Both of my kids said it was one of our best vacations ever. I'm not sure I would go that far, but my mental map of Oklahoma is much more detailed now.

      Delete
  2. Nice, refreshing post. So many people are so negative these days, it's a treat to be reminded of all the blessings we enjoy . . . including that great classic American dish, Gen. Tso's chicken!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I take our great country for granted. Those news articles reminded me of what a great place we live in.

      Delete
  3. What a great idea to have a gratitude photo album! It's easy to get caught up in the bustle of everyday living and take things for granted, but being mindful each day would go a far way towards reversing that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought it was a great little tool for being thankful. It at least makes me pause for a moment.

      Delete
  4. I agree about free public bathrooms. I am grateful for that.
    I used to keep a Gratitude Journal where I would remind myself every night of 5 things that I was happy about that happened during the day. I'm grateful for public education and women's rights. I'm grateful we can speak our minds without worrying. I'm grateful for elections. Yup. We have a lot to be thankful for.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are a lot of things in our daily life that we take for granted, while the rest of the world looks on in envy. Being aware and grateful are important things to remember.

      Delete