Dittoville

Dennis Prager has released a new Prager U video correctly naming the key to happiness in this challenging world. And that key is…Gratitude.

Agreed. In a grateful state of mind, one is not poor or deprived or hungry or frustrated or thwarted or inconvenienced or put upon or victimized. One is satisfied with life. Grateful. Obviously, that sunny state of mind is constantly in flux, depending upon circumstances. The computer crashes, other humans disappoint, checks bounce, the roof leaks, the career careens, the dog dies…or worse…there’s always something worse…

When things inevitably go wrong and spoil our equanimity, one is not grateful or satisfied or thankful. One is justifiably annoyed, angry, anxious, frustrated, fearful, grief-stricken.

Sometimes, allowing time to pass is the only solution. But where one can take action and find a solution, gratitude and optimism can re-emerge.

Given all the things, big and small, that can go wrong in this life, isn’t it preferable to live that life in freedom, in hope, in America?

To those of us who love and understand America, freedom (aka liberty aka independence) matters above all else, sustaining us in the worst of circumstances. To those insistent on guaranteed outcomes in life and blind to America’s unique essence, nothing will ever be good enough.

“A republic, Madam, if you can keep it,” said Ben Franklin when asked what he and the other Founding Fathers intended America to be.

Thanks to an unexpected turn of events roughly a year ago, we may keep her yet. Thanks, indeed.