America, I Love You

Thank you to Cathy Harvey, Administrative Assistant to Shepherds College, for writing today's blog.

My father was born during the Roaring Twenties era of our young American history.  His mother, my Nona, sailed here from northern Italy, checked in through Ellis Island, and settled in Chicago where my dad and his siblings grew up.  Somehow, they made it through the Depression.  My dad started driving when he was 12 so he could take his sister, my Aunt Gloria, to her many doctor appointments.  She had Cerebral Palsy—she was lucky, the doctor said; she had the “good type,” because the part of her brain that was affected only disengaged her legs from working properly and did not affect her mind skills. 

World War II arrived and with all the loyalty and patriotism of the time, my dad joined the Navy at 17, faithfully lying that he was 18 in order to enlist. Perhaps after Pearl Harbor was bombed the Navy was in too much of a hurry to check such details, or perhaps my immigrant grandmother had no birth papers to disprove his age.

I learned patriotism from my Dad.  He never lectured about it; he simply lived it.  He was a hard working family man with a devoted spirit of service.  He and a friend ran a car dealership together in Kenosha and then Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  His friend ran the front end sales and my dad managed the body shop.  He was not a mechanic, but a good leader and his shop was spotless.  More than once we heard customers say, “I could eat my lunch off that floor!”  It was true.  He sealed and polished the concrete floors.  He ran a clean, tight ship and no car left the body shop without a car wash and cleaning.  When one lazy, young employee complained that he could only get three cars a day washed, my dad showed him what an honest day’s work was by washing twenty cars in his suit!

I have a memory of my dad’s personal Saturday morning routine.  Every summer weekend, without fail, unless it was raining, he would hoist an American flag at the front of our property.  After setting it in place, he would pause and stand for a moment of silence.  If we were to visit his business partner’s home for a cookout, they would perform the same silent ceremony together at the start of their visit.  They never invited anyone to join them, I never saw them speak about it, they just did it—out of love for America and in joint camaraderie having served in the same war together.  I watched from a distance and learned respect for our flag and our country by his unassuming practice.

In 1977, after the 60’s decade of hippie rebellion, my father felt compelled to pen his feelings for our country which was being bombarded with criticism.  This is how a local Wisconsin magazine, “Exclusively Yours” prefaced his personal essay, with the article following.

A middle-aged American,

of sound mind—

A local businessman. . .

A family man not a professional commentator,

liberator or agitator—

states some observations and personal

feeling you might care to share.

“AMERICA, I LOVE YOU!” 

by Emo Desideri

            How long has it been since you heard someone make that remark?  As it happens, I’ve heard quite a few people say it.  But then, they were people who had just returned from overseas.  After having been out of the country for a while, and seeing the rest of the world, they’re unanimous in stating “America looks pretty good to me.  We may have troubles, but we have fewer problems than any other country I’ve seen.  I’m really happy to be back in the good old United Sates.”

            Perhaps we should stop being so super-critical of everything American, and start looking at the positive side of this wonderful country of ours.  We’ve some serious problems, but then no country is perfect, and in America the common man has risen farther and faster than in any other civilization the world has ever known.

            Just for starters, let’s give a hand to some of the fine, dedicated politicians and government workers (including the police) who make our country, our state, and our cities run.  Let’s also acknowledge that there are many ordinary citizens in business and industry doing their jobs in a quiet, dignified, upstanding manner, and they, too, make America run.  These people, all of them, are the backbone of our country.  They’re our unsung heroes.

            In reality we’re one big family.  From time to time most families have differences of opinion, but they’re usually ironed out, and then they learn to live together.  That’s what we’re learning now.

            This country has a fantastic future.  So let’s learn to be a bit more objective about our demands on ourselves.  Let’s make our voices a bit less strident.  Self-improvement is always to be sought, but let’s not expect perfection among men or nations.  I am very tired of our apparent national inferiority complex . . . constantly nourished by an often negative press.

            I remember being in a foreign country during World War II, and watching our flag being raised over a new base.  There wasn’t a dry eye among the Americans present.  America could stand a little of that patriotic feeling right now.

            We could also stand some happy songs like George M. Cohan’s “Grand Old Flag.”  I’ve heard enough wailing and crying songs.  I’d like to hear some happy songs about the good things in our national life—and there are quite a few good things.  I’m convinced that the large percentage of American people is smarter and more perceptive than given credit for.  Americans may temporarily be led down the wrong road, but eventually they return to the right one.

            This is the greatest country in the world, and will be greater.  So let’s stop demanding instant perfection.  Let’s all work harder at our jobs and try a little harder to get along with each other.  Then we can all realize and share in the full potential of America’s great future.  AMERICA, I LOVE YOU!

(Vol. 30, Issue 5, March 12, 1977, pp. 23, 35, published by the Pattern Company, Inc. 161 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203.)  This article was also repeated in the local Lake Geneva paper, date unknown.

            And with that, I’m off to the fantastic Union Grove 4^th of July day parade, with a street-side breakfast being hosted by our own Shepherds LPN, Melba Wright!  Happy 4^th of July and have a great family summer of fun and relaxation!

 



Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.