Full-Blooded Mutt
“I will take no handouts. I will earn everything I have, this way I will own my future.”
- Chris Carlisle
My mom’s side of the family were thrown out of Ireland a long time ago because we weren’t good enough. My dad’s side of the family was thrown out of France and then Canada. Somewhere along the way blood lines from Scotland, Germany and other northern European countries enter the mix. Eventually these two people got together to make a litter of full-blooded mutts.
You can find both sides of my family’s lineage on the rolls of Ellis Island. Our pedigree may say we are mutts but one thing we know is that we are Americans.
Nothing has been given to us. We have earned everything we have.
Neither of my parents graduated from college but all of their offspring did. Because they didn’t go to college they were not less – they were more. They were loving, more giving, more tenacious, more disciplined and more everything else.
They never knew easy. Their lives were a hard, slow, uphill grind.
When I was born at 6 lbs. 15 oz the doctor joking asked my mom “what happened to that other ounce”, since had only gained 7 pounds during the entire pregnancy. It wasn’t her diet that prevented her from gaining weight, it was chasing a 2 and 3-year-old, my older brothers, around every day. Add to this the act of carrying groceries up six flights of stairs to their two-bedroom apartment, that had no elevator or air conditioning.
My father started in the railroad profession pounding spikes. Any time a hard job came up he volunteered for it. He figured that anyone could do the easy jobs, but if he solved the hard problems, he would move up the ladder faster. He fought and scratched his way from pounding rails to the assistant vice president of the entire railroad.
My four siblings, all graduated from college and have risen to the top their profession through hard work and effort. We have all had our struggles along the way. But we overcame them with great effort and a tremendous work ethic. It’s a family thing!
In this time of turmoil, where people make decisions based on their political affiliation, we must all take a step back and recognize what an amazing country that we live in. Why is there a crisis at the Southern border? Because people all over the world want to be part of this country.
The minute we stop talking about US and THEM and start understanding that WE THE PEOPLE are what makes this country so special.
As politicians try to turn us against each other WE need to remind them that WE are the country – not THEM – they are supposed to be representatives of their constituents. Unfortunately, they use their positions to reap wealth and power. They make decisions based on their own welfare not that of the citizens of this country. WE need to remember that WE ultimately hold the keys to their future.
WE are a country of MUTTS. We either were thrown out, were taken out or walked away on our own but we all ended up here. We all have the choice to leave if we don’t like this place anymore. But we choose to stay.
WE were never comfortable with a ruling class. Even those who came from royal lineage were removed from their thrones by other rulers. We must not let anyone or anything allow us to forget that WE are Americans first, last and always.
Have an amazing Independence Day!
