US Flags & Landmarks
I've been fortunate to travel to all 48 Contiguous States. Everyone was remarkable in its way. There was a unique beauty in each of them.
I met some friendly, excellent and genuinely unique people during our travels. They all had their individual stories. I’ve discovered one common thread with our American friends and acquaintances - they loved the flag and their country.
My first trip was to New York City as a ten-year-old. In retrospect, it wasn't much of a trip, as my cousin preferred to stay in his yard and coerced me to play marbles instead of going to the world’s fair grounds. In the past thirty-five years, I made up for that one trip.
At this point, I have lost track of the number of trips, but I have kept track of the states visited. For a visit to count on my checklist - I have to eat there, take a picture and use the facilities. Three states barely qualified, but they count - Alabama, Mississippi and Kansas. I wasn’t avoiding it; it was simply the need to get somewhere else.
Nothing says, “Welcome to America” more than the Statue of Liberty.
This image is from the “My Places” folder on my iPhone. It kept track of locations for photos taken in the past six years. Please note that images captured in other formats are not recorded. Thus, the first thirty years of visits are not reflected here.
One final note: several recurring themes have become evident over the past thirty years of interactions with our neighbours to the south. Some were truly wonderful, and some truly disturbing.
One-on-one, our relationships have been excellent and respectful. I am a member of a financial planning think tank - even there, opinions were polarized in opposite directions, but the dialogue was respectful. We never have to agree on everything, but having that respectful, open dialogue goes a long way.
The people we met on our journey are similar in their basic needs from each other. We all want to provide for our children, have a roof over our heads and put food on the table. Deep down, people of whatever colour, ethnic background, nationality, or social strata have come to North America in general and the USA in particular in search of better lives for themselves and their children.
America - those people are the fibres that make your fabric so unique. Celebrate your blessings and commonalities. Also, celebrate your differences as you’ve done in the past.
Happy Fourth of July from a frequent guest and an admirer of how you love the flag and country.