As American as apple pie

"It was like being in a Norman Rockwell painting brought to life. I did not see one tear, not one grumpy face." 

Today was a first for me. My lovely bride agreed to walk in a parade with me. I have done a couple times in years past, but for my wife this will be her first. It really was an easy ask for both of us. The man we walked for is not only a friend, but also a staunch Conservative. Plus, his designated spot on the parade route was right in front of our Congressman's spot. I wore the shirt of one, and carried a sign for the other. 

The town which hosted the parade is about a half hour from where we live. A really nice little town, sitting on a fairly large recreational lake. And this town knows how to do a 4th of July parade! Everyone was decked out in either something patriotic, or summer (very) casual clothes. Families, singles, retired folks, you name it. They all came for one thing - to celebrate this Independence Day with hundreds upon hundreds of other Americans.

As we walked the parade route, I was really taken with one thought. It does not get more Americana than this. It was like being in a Norman Rockwell painting brought to life. I did not see one tear, not one grumpy face. No harsh words, so sour moods. Everyone seemed to be ebullient and cheerful. Even though I am not as chipper as I once was on long walks such as this, I still loved every minute of it.

I also thought about watching the news yesterday. Seeing the carnage in Baghdad and Bangladesh. How in this country we are blessed with (for the most part), peace. How we have such bountiful blessings. Seeing the corn fields on the way home was such a delight. The corn and soy beans look simply wonderful. Food to feed our nation as well as many needy folks throughout the world. And we help feed the needy for one reason alone - it is the right thing to do. As a people, that is what we are all about.

One final thought I had during the parade. Like most of us, I love this country with a deep, abiding love. We have all been so richly blessed to live here. To be Americans. To truly live the dream.

When the President tells us he does not understand American Exceptionalism, I would invite him to walk a parade like we did today. To see what we saw. To hear what we heard. To feel what we felt.

This American experiment which started a scant 240 years ago, really turned out to be quite something. And yes Mr. President, it turned out to be quite something exceptional. Very, very exceptional.