Sunday, August 2, 2009

Philadelphia and DC High!

My wife and I have had an injection of American History in the last two days. It was great to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall on Friday. We were caught in a thunderstorm without an umbrella. We huddled next to Independence Hall without a ticket to get in and got soaked. Luckily we were able to get in for the evening tour dripping. What a great experience. On Saturday after getting lost in New Jersey we finally found the building where I gave a presentation. Then we drove to Washington DC and visited the Capital. We were touched by the War Memorials and Debbie was awed by the Lincoln Memorial and the White House. It was a great trip and left us with a wonderful feeling that our country's inception was a divinely inspired event!
President Lincoln

Of course nothing of such great good comes to pass without sorrow and despair as well. Manifest Destiny was not without a price. Ask those who suffered and died that this nation might be. As I went to breakfast today I was reminded again about the fragility of our human existence. I sat with a lady who travels 8 hours each weekend and has for the last 6 to visit her partner of I believe 20 years. He was in a car accident and not wearing a seat belt. He was ejected from the vehicle. His 1st and 2nd vertebrae were severely damaged and his spinal cord as well. He is paralyzed from that point down, with very slight movement on his left side. I could see the grief and worry in her eyes. She is determined to do what it takes to survive and go on. What a perfect example of what this country is based on. Will she succeed or fail? I hope she succeeds. I pray she succeeds. We are built from successes and failures. Our lives our measured in successes and failures. What is failure? It is getting knocked down and refusing to get back up. What is success? It is getting knocked down and getting back up. Everyone gets knocked down, some harder than others, but everyone gets knocked down. It doesn't matter who you are or what a great person you might be, life is no respecter of persons.

Live each day as if it was truly your last, for it may be. Learn to love and accept those around you. Don't cross your bridges before you come to them. Prepare yourself for the worst then forget it and enjoy your life. Let your light so shine because that is your key to happiness. Forget yourself in the service of others and you will find yourself. Tie yourself to the past, they lived and died so that you could live.

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