Thanksgiving Blessings To All

We're entering the holiday season again this year, and I'd like to wish God's blessing on everyone reading this page, and I'd like to give Him thanks for the many blessings He has given to each of us individually, to our nation, and to the world.

It's no news to anyone that at times it is very difficult to feel thankful. As a nation, we face huge problems: too many members of our military are being killed and wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. The national debt is ever-increasing. Violence, crime and poverty are far too common, as is substance abuse. We are deceived, disappointed and abused by politicians, corporate executives, media stars and athletes that use their positions of responsibility, trust and power for personal gain at the expense of others. And on and on. Often I wonder what is becoming of our country and the world. Is the American dream, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," really only an illusion?

If I am totally honest, I have to answer my question, "Yes, far too often, it is an illusion, and for too many people." In this country, not everyone yet has an equal opportunity to achieve success. Oh, certainly in theory, we all are equal, but in practice, not entirely.

But despite all of America's problems and shortcomings, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Let me describe why in the next few paragraphs.

During my career I've had an opportunity to travel to lots of places around the world, meeting people and seeing the sights.

London is a truly great city. I could spend a lot of time there, and enjoy every bit of it. The word "cosmopolitan" was coined for London, I think. History absolutely surrounds you there. Westminster Abbey is incredible. I'll never forget attending a Palm Sunday service in Westminster Abbey, hearing the boy's choir, being awed by the beautiful building, and when we left, seeing the place were Isaac Newton was buried. As Americans, I think we kind of forget that history happened. When you're in London, you can't forget it - history is everywhere.

Paris is beautiful. There is so much to do and see there. If you love food, art and architecture, Paris is your city. I could easily spend a year just prowling the museums and cathedrals in Paris, soaking up the incredible art and stuffing myself to the gills on the great food in the restaurants. I honestly believe that there isn't a bad restaurant in Paris, and many of them are not expensive. The Parisians don't really deserve the bad press they get here for being unfriendly. My experience was that if you are polite and just try to speak French, however poorly, they are helpful and friendly.

Tokyo has unbelievable energy, and the Japanese are wonderful. I loved being there. It's an amazing place. A visit to the Akihabara (electronics) district is a must, as well as the Ginza district, with all the great shops and department stores. It's so cool to go into a shop to buy any small thing, and have it wrapped like a Christmas gift. Everything is wrapped like that, whether it's a gift or not! The service is unbelievable. In some ways, Tokyo is like the European cities I've been to - traditional, old culture with contemporary, modern fixtures (transportation, electronics, clothing, and even politics) layered on top of it.

Amsterdam is totally cool. It's more funky and charming than I could have imagined - just don't breathe the smoke in the restaurants. Wow. Look out for the bicycles, too. It was quite a sight to see women, dressed in up in nice business clothes, peddling like crazy along the streets to get to work. The bicycles always have the right-of-way, even over cars, pedestrians and streetcars. Visiting Anne Frank House was one of the most moving experiences of my life. Never forget! Go to the museums as well to see Van Gogh, Rembrandt and other incredible art.

New Delhi, Chennai and Agra, India: I never thought I'd travel to India in my life. Am I ever glad I was able to. It's a fascinating place, and the Taj Mahal is so beautiful. The people there were incredibly nice, also. I wish I could go back sometime to visit some of the people I met there. India is fascinating because it is so unlike the U.S. or Europe, and because it is made up of so many different people and cultures. There are common themes, if you will - it is all "India" - but there are many, many different languages, religions, castes and tribes that all make up the total. Comparatively, the U.S. is much more homogenous culturally, even with all of the immigration here and our much shorter history.

Singapore is really beautiful. Clean, safe, efficient, hot. Since it isn't far from the equator, I was roasting, but the evenings are beautiful. I really liked walking along the street in the evening, looking at all the great shops. Singapore is another really cosmopolitan city. It is heavily influenced by the British, of course, but also by Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and so on. Like the U.S., Singapore strikes me as a "melting pot," but even more so.

Hong Kong is a really Asian city - the first I ever visited. That really struck me when I noticed that all of the construction scaffolding around the high-rise buildings was made of bamboo, rather than steel. It seems like everything is cheap in Hong Kong. The shops were incredible. I wish I'd been able to stay longer and see more of the city.

Basil, Switzerland is a beautiful city in a beautiful country. Like other European cities I've visited, it is a fascinating combination of new and old. I went to a huge art show (the largest art show in the world) in Basil in a giant, modern convention center. I saw thousands of pieces of art, most of it really modern, avant-garde style. Not far away was a church built (I believe it was) in the 1400's. Strange to my West-Coast, American eyes, where practically nothing is more than 100 years old, but typical there. Basil would be a great place to stay while touring Europe, as it is right near the border of France, Germany and Switzerland. I'd love to go back there some day.

I've enjoyed all of my travels around the world. Every place I have been has been fascinating in one way or another. I can't think of a single city I've visited around the world (admittedly, most of the places I've been are quite nice) that I didn't really enjoy. The same goes for all of the people I've met around the world. Most everyone, with a couple of exceptions, has been very pleasant, not rude at all.  I still exchange email with people I met in different parts of the world. I am not so naive as to think that there aren't rude or dangerous people in the world, but my experiences have been almost entirely positive.

My travels have taught me that people all over the world are decent, honest and friendly. Cultures, languages and religions are different, but it seems that everywhere people mostly want the same things: security (food, shelter, safety) and opportunity (education, employment, freedom).

So, if other places and people are so wonderful, why wouldn't I want to live anywhere but right here in the good, ole U.S.A.?

Well, because even though America isn't perfect, and neither are Americans, we've been blessed.

We have plentiful natural resources that have allowed our country to prosper. We have oceans to the east and west, and friendly neighbors to the north and south, that have allowed us (usually) to be secure within our borders.

And, we were especially blessed with wise and honorable people that founded our country, who secured our rights with their blood.

Our country was founded on the very ideals that other countries hope for and try to emulate. These are the famous opening lines of the second paragraph of the United States' Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...

We struggle to live up to the ideals and vision of the founders of our country, which are now our own. It has taken us well over 200 years to reach the point where most people have an opportunity to pursue happiness without insurmountable obstacles placed in their way. Some still do not have that opportunity - at least not to the degree that they should. But that is the point: we struggle to live up to those ideals. We critically examine our country and ourselves, and we try to be better. We have a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people," and we, the people, continually strive to improve it.

Other people and countries strive to emulate America. We're the real deal. We strive to live up only to our own ideals.

In some parts of the world I've been to, America is seen as an almost magical place. We know that it isn't magical, but we'd like it to be better. We'd like the rest of the world to be better, too, so we struggle and sacrifice in those places where other people suffer. We want the rest of the world to have rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as well., so when necessary we will spend our hard-earned money and sacrifice precious lives to secure those rights for those in other countries.

Few others will sacrifice as we will, and none sacrifice as much. For Americans, the rights and responsibilities of democracy, freedom, and opportunity aren't new political fixtures on old cultural plumbing. They are our heritage. They are what make us Americans.

That's why I wouldn't live anywhere else.

So, even when the news is grim, let's remember to be thankful that we live in America, where freedom and opportunity are fundamental rights. The struggle continues, here and throughout the world, to give every person those same inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

And so, God's blessing on everyone during this holiday season, and thanks to Him for the many blessings we have received.

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