Leaves on this Family Tree

Withering Away

Friday, February 11, 2011

Watching History in the Making

Egypt . . . 
cradle of civilization
at least this is what we all learned
in our Ancient World History books  . . . 

so hope
that your search
for democracy
will run smooth.

Freedom 
and
democracy
seem so normal . . . 
what would my world be like
if I h ad been born in a country
where the citizens weren't free
and democracy was not the core of our gov't.

I still remember
how wonderful,
maybe even fulfilled,
I felt
when I went through customs in Detroit,
after having spent a week in Thailand.

My bags had been checked,
Chooch was still having hers dug through . . . 
(she had declared a 6' snake . . . 
duh,
it was a 6' STUFFED TOY pastel snake!
She didn't declare a TOY SNAKE, just a snake.)
I turned around
and laughed at her predicament.
When I turned around to move on
there was a customs officer,
big grin on his face
saying,
"Welcome Home"  
to me.
I smiled, thanked him and thought,
"Home . . . yep, I am home . . . 
I can now appreciate the freedoms I have . . . 
and I am SO GLAD I have them." 

So,
residents of Egypt . . . 
democracy/freedom is hard to achieve . . . 
just read our American history.

But,
believe you me . . . 
I am SO HUMBLED
that my forefather
(and of course my foremothers)
did what they did
so that I may have
the freedoms that I have.

Things in the USA 
may not always be perfect,
but if you have ever been 
in another country 
for any length of time
you know 
that we live 
in the best country in the world.



A little aside about something which I have mentioned before . . .driving on a road in Germany, right next to the Rhine River (which my dad crossed with bullets whizzing over his head during WWII) I ask the driver how old the stone wall was that we were passing.

His reply, "Not that old, 200 - 300 years or so."

I thought to myself, "NOT OLD? Shit, my country hasn't been around as long as that wall!"

Talk about putting the world in perspective.

AND now, we have a country that has been around for all of written history fighting for what I take for granted.

Amazing!

1 comment:

  1. I remember the same feeling as we went through customs in Detroit after living in Italy for three years and I'm sure I'll feel the same after being here in Belgium. I am so thankful for those freedoms as well! God bless the USA and Democracy!

    Pam in Brussels, Belgium

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