America, Land That I Love

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

~ Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776

Being born in America, as a native-born American, is the greatest gift and privilege that anyone can have. Thanks to my parents and the line of ancestors who chose America over their ancestral homelands, I have that gift - and I honor that privilege.

It's not a magic 'get-out-of-jail-free' card or a 'you-can-have-anything-you-want' card. But it is an opportunity. The opportunity to make anything you want of yourself, so long as you are willing to dedicate your time, effort, and resources towards your endeavour.

Sadly, many Americans squander that precious gift, that invaluable opportunity. Worse, they look down on America (our own homeland!) and denigrate it. Mocking our history and seeing only the wrongs, never the triumphs.

They don't see that America makes room for everyone's dreams, big or small. They don't see that an equal playing field, where everyone has the same 'beginning' opportunity (even if we don't all start out with equal resources), is the best we're gonna get this side of Heaven.

There's room for the humble homemaker, who just wants to spend her days making a comfortable, loving home for her family. There's room for the hardworking husband, who takes the train downtown every day for 30 years, retires with the good will of his company, and then gets hired back for the next several years as a contractor to maintain the system that he spent his whole career building.

And there's room for their rogue of an only daughter, who got a college degree in Aviation, yet ended up working as a software developer when the aviation career didn't work out. Plus said daughter's side hobby of writing fanfiction which developed into writing original fiction. 😉

I have a dream to be a successful self-published author. It's a dream that is shared by thousands, if not millions, which makes for a very competitive, crowded market. Is it a dream that succeeds?

I sure hope so.

But even if it doesn't, I'll have had the opportunity. I'll still have had the experience and the learning that comes with that experience. That's something to be thankful for, win or lose.

America gave me that opportunity, that chance to stand on my own two feet and see if I can make my dream a reality. It's just one more reason I'm proud to be an American!

Happy Independence Day, to one and all!

~ Katelyn Peterson

P.S. As I tell my fanfiction readers, please read and review (reply). I cherish each reply I receive and will do my best to personally respond to each one.

Please also check out my website at: www.katelynpeterson.com​

Finally, if you'd like to check out the archive of my previous Order Dispatches, please go to my Kit Creator Profile at: https://katelyn-peterson.kit.com​