43 years ago, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the
moon, beating Kennedy’s simple goal set forth less than 10 years prior. They represented a pinnacle achievement for
Americans and humans. In 66 years, we
went from a couple of Ohioans taking flight on the beaches of Kitty Hawk to
another Ohioan taking a giant leap for mankind on the moon. And where are we now?
Hitching rides from the Russians to the space station.
We cannot grow into dependency, because we will not
grow. Innovation and entrepreneurialism
are in our genes. First settled in
search of a more perfect union, Americans have always sought to push the
boundaries of possible. We take risks,
we fail, and we aim higher. More often
than not, we have forgone the safety net of the status quo.
Achievement is not easy.
Temporal comforts are convenient but fleeting, especially when given to
you by others. If you chose a life of
least resistance, do not bemoan or besmirch those who act on their dreams. We have to continue to celebrate the
achievers and the doers, and drown out those trying to discredit success from
the comfort of their couch. Don’t get in
the way of the doers. Don’t take away, diminish,
besmirch, or bemoan the achievement of those around you, let it raise your own
personal standards.
We can still strive for and achieve greatness. We have to.
The American Dream and the American Spirit can only be
defeated from within, by us and us alone.
If the 20th century is remembered as the American century, I
fear how dismal this century will be that we are not remembered.
