From My Personal Library--The Stuff Americans Are Made Of

My older sister is pretty smart--maybe one day, I will admit that she is indeed smarter than me. She reads lots of interesting books and a few years ago, she suggested that I pick up a book that she found amazing--The Stuff Americans Are Made Of by Josh Hammond and James Morrison. Published in 1996, the book focuses on the seven cultural forces that define Americans, and in this very interesting and noisy election year, I am pulling this book off the shelf and taking another look at it. Perhaps you would like to know what you are made of--before you make your election day decision!

The seven forces that define us as Americans according to Josh and James are:

• an insistence on choice
• the pursuit of impossible dreams
• obsession on big and more
• impatience with time
• acceptance of mistakes
• the urge to improvise
• fixation on "whatsnew"

The authors make their case clearly and proudly by illustrating their seven forces in the life and accomplishments of the Super American (my term): Ben Franklin. Josh and James define Ben as a combination of Ted Turner, Perter Uebberoth, Warren Christopher, Steve Jobs, David McCullough, Russel Baker, Red Adaire, Dave Barry and Teddy Roosevelt all in one. WOW!!

OK--lets see why they think that about Ben Franklin based on their seven forces that make Americans

Choice: Ben chose to educate himself, read everything he could find, left Boston to live in Philly, wrote extensively under a pen name of Silence Dogood and was curious about everything around him. He was chosen to be a writer of the Declaration of Independence.

Impossible Dreams: No argument that he was a visionary. He founded the Philly library, hospital, fire company, insurance company, militia, philosophical society, college--and if that is not enough--he encouraged the lighting and paving of city streets.

Big and More: He worked for a bigger and better Philadelphia. Philly still has that going on as they constantly seek to be as cool as NYC (my bias expressed here). While a diplomat in France during the American Revolution, he worked to unite the colonies to be a bigger and better United States of America.

NOW: He worked lots of hours when he was young with the hope of retiring in his forties. Of course he didnt. He established brevity--his aphorisms found in Poor Richard's Almanac survive today--like this one-- No pain no gain. And one that is noted in the title of my chosen book--"But dost thou love Life, then do not squander Time, for that's the Stuff Life is made of".

OOPS--he once owned slaves--he became an advocate of abolition.

Improvise--Ben was a tireless inventor and entrepreneur. Lets see-he is credited with the Franklin stove, bifocals, electric storage battery, lightening rods (of course) and electric motor. He also invented things that never made history.

Whatsnew?: His stock in trade.

Ane he was reportedly a wonderful dinner companion, a joiner, a team player, attuned to the world around him and rewarded by being a member of the greatest team an American could wish for--The Continental Convention. He was one of the authors who wrote the compromise that resolved representation between big states and small states--the Congress with two houses.

In hours, the state of this marvelous union will for the last time be described by George Bush. HOORAY--his "lasts" are starting to pile up! I review the seven forces that Americans are made of and dream and imagine what the country will be like a year from now.

• an insistence on choice: All citizens have exactly the same opportunity to make a choice for the next president of the United States. A choice of age, gender, race and experience.
  
• the pursuit of impossible dreams: For the first time, our choice includes an American with a heritage of color, a Viet Nam POW, a female
  
• obsession on big and more: We can become obsessed with being bigger and better than ever for more than our weapons and threats of waging war--we can actually wage global behavior and peaceful co-existence by social networking with global leaders--imagine that.
  
• impatience with time: Let's just do it, gosh darn it. Lets break the race barrier in American presidency.
  
• acceptance of mistakes: YEP--we make some and we will make some more. Its OK!!
  
• the urge to improvise: Pick the president who is willing to listen to others and change how we solve and lead the solution of global issues
  
• fixation on "whatsnew": Everything old is new again--CAMELOT is more than a once in lifetime experience. It wasnt just for us Boomers. Bigger and More is having CAMELOT twice in a lifetime!! Its what we need to heal and recharge the American Spirit. Americans under 35 deserve the "happily ever-aftering" that is here in America (Camelot if there ever was one)
  

And then what could be better for a liberal moment??? The promise today for another Camelot with a united Kennedy endorsement of Barak Obama--its finally not only getting interesting, but it is getting AMERICAN--an election that reflects what we are made of.




Can you dare to be pass that torch to an new generation of Americans??

If so-- we share the salute recognized around the world.

Lets go and make an Obama-rama come true for the resurgence of a gentle, giant nation. This election can be the one that re-launches the United States as a country of benevolence not violence.






and keeps us on top of the world.

CONGRATS-- you have just thoroughly enjoyed a liberal moment.

This blog entry in memory of you, my wonderfully liberal friend, Jim Weinberg, Esq. We managed to argue politics--and we were both on the same side. I am missing you during all this election fun..

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