GREAT EXPECTATIONS


Radio talk show host Michael Medved finishes every broadcast with a sentence that ends “in this greatest nation on God’s green earth.” We are, you know……………the greatest nation on God’s green earth. How many Americans wake up every morning and thank God for living in such a great country? How many ever even think of the price in blood that was paid for these incredible freedoms we enjoy?

John McCain recently responded to Phil Gramm’s remark that we are all a bunch of whiners by denouncing the statement and throwing Gramm under the bus, so to speak. Well, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate our attitudes and our whiney nature.

OK, I am going to say it!.

WE ARE INCREDIBLY SPOILED AND WE ARE WHINERS.

Of course, the main cause of our complaining right now is the cost of gas and the subsequent escalating cost of food prices and other necessities. It certainly is a big point of concern, and I resent the heck out of paying $75 to fill up the tank, knowing that in a few weeks, it could be $100.

But, let’s put aside all the things we agree on like ……
· Yes, we feel we are being ripped off by big oil companies.
· Yes, we should have weaned ourselves off foreign oil years ago.
· Yes, we needed a comprehensive energy plan yesterday.
· Yes, we should have seen this coming.

BUT, let’s just consider some of the many things we have to be thankful for……………

· WE CAN VOTE FREELY WITH NO WORRY OF BEING ATTACKED
· THERE IS PLENTY OF FOOD AT THE GROCERY STORE OR WE CAN GROW SOME THINGS OURSELVES
· WE HAVE A REFRIGERATOR (OR TWO) AND USUALLY A FREEZER
· WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE GOOD VEHICLE TO DRIVE (USUALLY TWO OR THREE) AND THERE IS FUEL AVAILABLE EVERY FEW BLOCKS
· OUR HOUSES AND CARS ARE AIR-CONDITIONED IN THE SUMMER AND HEATED IN THE WINTER
· WE HAVE WATER FOR SHOWERS, TO WASH OUR CAR, TO WATER OUR YARD, AND WATER FOR THE WASHING MACHINE THAT WASHES OUR CLOTHES
· IF WE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A SWIMMING POOL (& MANY DO), WE HAVE PLENTY OF WATER FOR THE POOL
· WE HAVE A CLOTHES DRYER
· WE DON’T JUST HAVE ONE TELEVISION; CHANCES ARE WE HAVE SEVERAL THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE
· MOST OF US HAVE A MOBILE PHONE AND WE PROBABLY HAVE A LAND LINE IN OUR HOMES WITH SEVERAL EXTENSIONS.
· WE HAVE A COMPUTER AND UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE INTERNET
· MOST OF US HAVE CABLE TV AND CAN CHOOSE FROM MULTIPLE NEWS SOURCES AND PERSPECTIVES. IF WE DON’T WANT NEWS, WE CAN CHOOSE FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF MOVIE CHANNELS
· IF WE CHOOSE NOT TO HAVE A TELEVISION IN OUR HOMES, THERE ARE MORE AM & FM RADIO STATIONS THAT WE CAN LISTEN TO FOR NEWS, DIVERSE OPINIONS, AND ALL GENRES OF MUSIC
AND SO ON, AND SO ON, AND SO ON..............

The list is literally endless !

Quite a few years ago after returning from a trip to Europe, I was acutely aware of just how much there was to appreciate about our great country. Some of the people we stayed with were fairly affluent. They had a small undercounter refrigerator,no freezer. They had a washing machine but no clothes dryer. They had to walk to the neighborhood market on a near daily basis for basic items like milk and bread and meat. I remember wanting ice for a glass of tea. There was a few small cubes available. I remember walking all over Paris on a fairly warm and humid day. Every vendor I approached could only offer a canned drink that was slightly cooled……no ice. When I needed to wash my clothes, there was no clothes dryer. I hung them out to dry. I wasn’t particularly bothered, only slightly inconvenienced. After all, “When in Rome……,” right? The point I am making is that these “slight inconveniences” only magnify why some Europeans call us spoiled Americans. Let’s admit it. We are. We want everything to be easy. We want change “yesterday.” Our sense of entitlement has run amuck! Are we willing to make any sacrifices on that long list of perks to help us survive this economic crunch? If not, then I’m afraid we are reinforcing that stereotype of the spoiled American. I’m not suggesting we need to live like Europeans, but let’s face it….. probably half the world’s population would be happy just to have a roof over their head. Politicians flap their jaws about “global warming”, then go hop in their chauffeured SUVs or Town Cars to get back to their 6,000 + SF homes. Or there’s the average Joe American. He (or she) uses paper sacks, buys whole and organic foods, saves the plastic water bottles for recycling that took more of a toll on the environment to produce & deliver to the point of sale than his saving the plastic can ever offset, and then he jumps in his Prius and drives thirty miles each way to get back to his 3,000 SF McMansion. Sooooooo……….you get the gist of my message. I’m OK with being a bit spoiled. Really, I am.
But STOP COMPLAINING !!!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media.
Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage.
Do what you can to conserve and cut back where necessary.
Cut coupons; cut Starbucks...........you get the message!
Then start being grateful for all we have “IN THIS GREATEST NATION ON GOD’S GREEN EARTH!”