Never in my 27 years of life have I felt like as a community, state, and country have we been so divided. Whether it be through education, athletics, politics, civil rights, or just a random action during the day, it is obvious that there is a clear divide right now in our country. On this day, 11/11/20, Veterans Day 2020, I want to take the time to remember why we are all here and the purpose of our life as citizens of the UNITED States of America. (Let's let Kid History explain a little bit about Veterans Day)
As I think about Veterans day and the crises going on throughout our country right now, I can not help but think about the idea of being thankful for what we have. Over 100 years ago now the citizens of the UNITED States of America came together to celebrate the end of World War I. Ever since this, our country has come together and tackled whatever challenges arise. Has adversity hit this community, state and country? Absolutely but has it ever divided a country like it has in the year 2020? Just in my lifetime some of the defining moments I remember in this country include 9/11, the Boston Marathon Bombings, the Sikh Temple shooting, and Hurricane Katrina. When I think back to these tragic events, there is always a sense of pride about how we as Americans UNITED and became stronger as a nation through our responses to these tragedies. Sadly, I do not know if during this year of 2020 whether it be the COVID-19 pandemic, the election, educational decisions, or Civil Rights issues, if we as a county have put our own agendas aside to UNITE and become a stronger nation.
I am currently reading, The Power of Moments by Dan and Chip Heath. It has become clear to me while reading this powerful source that we as Americans right now need to embrace each moment we are given. We are provided with defining moments in our lives daily, weekly and monthly. It is our preparation, actions, and reactions to what happens daily that defines the type of defining moment we have. Are we embracing the opportunities we are presented with each day? How are we making each moment a positive defining moment? When you went to work today, did you just follow your normal routine or did you do something different to impact your feelings or to make someone else's day? Dan and Chip Heath extensively break down what makes a defining moment and what we can do to build more peaks within our days and lives. One idea that really stood out to me is the idea of "breaking the script". Just the idea of doing something different, which raises emotional and sensory appeal, allows for a positive defining moment in your day. As an educator if I do one thing that is out of the norm for one student a day, I am now creating peak moments every day in my students lives. School, occupations, livelihoods become boring and routine based, finding a way to break the normalcy of your routines will create more peak and defining moments in your life.
Why do we need these peaks and defining moments in our days? Right now as a country, I would argue we have never needed these peaks and positive defining moments more. Every day we are presented with opportunities and our preparation and responses to these opportunities will result in either more of the status quo or will provide ourselves, our families, our friends, and our coworkers with the peaks that are needed to become more UNITED as a workforce, as a family, as an education system and as a country.
When as a community, a state, and a country will we put our own agenda aside and do what we can to help one another and to create positive defining moments for those around us? That is when we will truly be able to move on and move through this year of 2020. The epidemic of 2020 will not stop at the change of a calendar, we as people need to UNITE and come together to tackle all the issues going on in our communities. Just as our Veterans have come together for hundreds of years as they have battled for our freedom, we need to come together as a nation to battle for our future and our livelihood.
I am going to end this post with a preview link to one of the most powerful movies I have ever seen. Honor Flight is a must watch for any American and hopefully can help us all remember the sacrifices that have been made by others who have put their country before themselves.
UNITED WE STAND, divided we fall. UNITE AMERICANS.
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