I am Patriotic

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I am patriotic.  Early on, I was taught to respect our country.  I have a huge respect for our military. Tears flow easily when I hear songs like "God bless the USA" or when I see a video of our soldiers and their families. 

When I was growing up, we respected adults - I was not allowed to use slang words..and I don't use them to this day.  It was common to play outside till dark.  Sundown was our signal to head home, knowing that supper was ready.  There was a corner lot where several of us kids gathered to play cowboys and indians....or whatever we chose to do...and again...this was until dark. There was no fear in letting the kids play outside with other kids in the neighborhood.  They were fine.

In grade school, we had prayer before class.  Girls weren't allowed to wear jeans to school way back then.  I remember what a big deal it was when we were allowed to wear jeans under our dresses on a cold winter day.  Yes, that was a long time ago.  When I was in the 6th grade, we got our first TV.  Black and white.  We knew little about world events.  Russians and communists were scary.  We had one car...and a party line phone.  Oh yes, most of us walked to school, or caught a ride if we were lucky.  The worst thing that happened was someone getting caught smoking out behind the school...it was rare when a girl became pregnant....oh, by the way...that was a word we didn't say in public. 

Life has changed.  Drastically.  It was better back in the good ole' days.  We had never heard of the term 'stress'.  A lot of people worked hard on their farms...raising a house full of kids.   Sunday dinner had enough food spread on the table for half the church.  Tables were filled with dishes of food from the garden.  Oh yes, at our house we raked and burned leaves on Saturday morning, hung our wash outside on the line to dry (I've brought in many frozen towels).  We shampooed our hair on Saturday morning, put it in rollers, and tied a scarf around our head so we could go to town while our hair dried naturally (that was before blow dryers).  We spent Saturday getting ready for church the next day.  Sometimes we could go to the Ritz theater on main street and see Roy Rogers and Dale Evans or a Gene Autry movie on Saturday afternoon. 

This is Memorial Day weekend - and when I say I'm patriotic, I mean it.  The USA is my home.  It has been a good place to live and to raise our children. 

I only wish the younger folks could know what it was like "way back then" -- the simplicity of life and the decent level of morality.  Technology is awesome - inventions are incredible.  But I miss the respect we had in those days.  Respect of ministers, doctors, teachers...and our president.  Evil was not blatantly in our face.  Children were allowed to be children.  Twelve year old girls looked like twelve years old girls!   Not twenty-five! 

I miss the America I knew as a young person.  The clean, wholesome America.  I wish everyone still honored and respected our military...I wish people still blushed at sin...I wish our children could go outside to play without fear of being snatched and killed.  I wish parents would not kill their children and children would not kill their parents. 

I love America.  And there is hope for our country.  II Chronicles 7:14 says, "if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land."  Restore is the word for today. It means to bring back to a former, normal or original condition.  That's what I would love to see happen for America.  Our original condition was based on God and biblical values.  

I am patriotic.  I love the USA.  God restore our land.

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