"And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free…"
—Lee Greenwood
Let me ask you something: Do you know who John Tyler was? What was your first thought? What about James Garfield? No, that is not the full name of the cat in the cartoon! Both of these men are past Presidents of The United States. Do you know who the twelfth President of the United States was? Quick, no running through some little song in your head you learned in third grade. I have no idea who he was—I'm not even going to try and lie about it. Do you know which President died one month into office? Or who the tallest President was? Do you know how many Presidents never attended college or which President was responsible for the annexation of Texas?
Isn't it amazing that we set aside a day each year to honor our past presidents, and yet we know so little about them.
There really are no family traditions set aside for Presidents Day as there are for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Some people get Presidents Day off from work; some don't. And yet, this nation has been shaped by the actions of these forty-four men who have served this country in a way that is unimaginable to me. Most of them go into office facing insurmountable odds. They are expected to make split-second life-altering decisions, expected to unite people in times of stress and strife, and in general, fight for the American way. It's really hard for me to fathom how they juggle all their responsibilities and still try to make time for their personal life. There was actually only one president who was never married. Wondering who he was? It was James Buchanan. If you said, "Oh yeah, I knew that…" I'm betting you did not know that!
Here's another question for you: What in the world do the following people have in common? Lt. Col. Frank D. Bryant Jr., PFC Adriana Alvarez, Specialist Jamel A. Bryant, Pat Tillman. I'll tell you: They are all members of a great and powerful force called the U.S. Military, and like our Presidents, they chose to give their lives in service to this nation. We also have a day to honor them, Memorial Day, which is a day reserved to mourn those who gave their lives in past wars. It's also a time to give thanks to these men and women whose dedication and time of service have helped make this country a better place. Their actions provide us the freedom to picnic, grill out, and enjoy time with friends and family on Memorial Day and every other day of the year.
Lee Greenwood said it best with his song, "God Bless the USA," which always takes my breath away every time it is played at a Baltimore Ravens home game:
"And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free, and I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me and I'll proudly stand next to him to defend her still today, 'cuz there ain't no doubt I love this land, God Bless the USA."
Like all these presidents and these leaders in our military, we as average Americans also have the ability to give back. The majority of us are not commander-in-chiefs, (although sometimes SJ tells me I act as if I am). But that doesn't mean we shouldn't emulate these men and the oaths they took when they placed their hand on the Bible on Inauguration Day. We can take part in the same ideals and principles they do. Our choices and our actions can have an impact on the prosperity of our country. For example, we can choose not to make racial statements; we can choose not to use profanity; we can choose to be helpful and kind to others; we can choose to be responsible; we can choose to try to do the right thing; and we can choose to always tell the truth. Do all those things sound difficult to you? They sound Presidential to me.
The same principle applies here. These men who became Presidents believed they could make a difference. That is why they ran for office. These men who enlisted in the military believed they could protect our country. But we do not have to run for the office of President or serve in the military to have a patriotic attitude and strive to leave our footprint on this country. We just have to decide we want to make a difference. We have to ask ourselves, "Am I making good choices today for our tomorrow? Am I using all my skills I have been blessed with to create a lifetime of tomorrows for our country?" I believe we are measured by the choices we make in life. Our choices make us who we are. Saying that we can't make good choices is basically saying we don't care to make good choices.
The current system seems to need a little adjusting to say the least. Our 34th President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, said it so well, "Our real problem then is not our strength today; it is rather the vital necessity of action today to ensure our strength tomorrow."
Let's look to our founding fathers, reflect on their leadership, their bravery, and their belief in this great country of ours and maybe we, too, can create some meaningful change and help strengthen this country's foundation. I suspect we can all do more to honor these men with our actions and our choices. This next Presidents Day or Memorial Day, let's start a new tradition of reevaluating our commitment to doing what's right for our fellow citizens. Let's strive to use these national holidays to help keep the memory alive of those who gave their lives to protect this country and our freedom.
There are so many things we can do to accomplish this goal. It can be something as simple as sharing the legacies with people who are younger than our seasoned selves. Or, if you really want to make a difference, send a card to a family who is grieving the loss of their child or their father or bake cookies for local military families or greet soldiers at the airport. The possibilities are endless, but it is up to you to first make a conscious decision to make a difference. Just like our Presidents and those who serve in the military.
And in case you're still wondering, the 12th president was Zachary Taylor. President William Henry Harrison died one month into office. Abraham Lincoln was the tallest president. Eight of our Presidents never attended college, and John Tyler was responsible for the annexation of Texas!
