Poetry, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and culture from a Lao American perspective.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
40 years as a US citizen
Today marks my 40th year as a US citizen, when I was naturalized in Missoula, Montana on Flag Day during the American Bicentennial. America had turned 200 years old while I turned 3, having come from a nation just beginning the recovery from a 21-year civil war.
For the most part, I'm going to say things worked out, and we all have a lot left to do. Here's to the best moments that have been and are yet ahead, and the amazing stories we share as a nation. Remember where we've come from, and where it's yet possible to go.
In the words of the late Senator Paul Wellstone, "We all do better when we all do better." Don't let the great work we've done together stop here. Keep going.
We have moments that challenge us to the very firmaments of our soul, our convictions, our faith in our fellow humans, but that does not mean we give up on the very best of our ideals. Let's challenge ourselves, and keep growing.
No comments:
Post a Comment