Throughout life, words define us.
When you're a baby ... breast or bottle, sitting, crawling
Toddlers ... potty-trained, teething, walking
School-age ... Gifted, average, class clown, shy
Adolescence ... cool, accepted, nerd, jock, rah rah
Young adult ... single, married, college-educated, roomie
Adult ... successful, fulfilled, renter, homeowner, hippie, mom, dad, "such and such" generation
Today, my word was MartCart.
For various reasons, I won't bore you with, I chose to bite the bullet when we went to town and used one of those electronic carts at the store. The ones with the big baskets on the front. The ones that only sad, pathetic people ride in -- or at least, that is what I discovered.
When you are a MartCart-er, people stand back, step aside and look at you with "pity eyes". They shake their head, lower their eyes and you can clearly hear them, in their heads, saying "oh so young, to be so sad and pathetic". Really, you CAN hear them ....
But you know what? I'm not sad or pathetic. I made a choice.
I could walk around the huge store, and be completely off my feet and miserable for the rest of the night, completely ruining our family plans tonight to climb up the hill to the bunkhouse and watch fireworks. OR ... I could sit on the cart, ride around absorbing pitiful looks like a sponge while smiling sweetly, and thoroughly enjoy my family tonight.
I chose my family over my own comfort.
Today - the 4th of July - it's important to remember that our country was defined by men who chose freedom for their familes and those who came after, over their own comfort.
Others have done the same -- through the Civil War, the Wars of the 20th Century, Iraq, Flight 93, the Emergency Response crews of 9/11 and others - people have chosen to be defined by what they choose to do, over what they prefer to do.
We all have choices. Whether pre-ordained, or man-made.
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
Thousands chose to be defined for the freedom we have today.
When the going gets tough ... what will define you?
Recent Comments