Not so very long ago people were very aware of the basic things of life. They knew that summer was hot, fall was cool and windy and winter brought about cold with snow and ice. They also knew that eventually spring would arrive with warm rains that would once again awaken the sleeping earth and begin the process once again. In those days the average man worked for long hours. He seldom, if ever, took holidays.

One day he would, it seemed, awaken to the fact that his children had grown, his mortgage was paid if all went well, and grandchildren were tugging at his pant legs for his attention. His life had passed according to the seasons and his pride as his love was in the fact that it too had begun again. Only because of his acceptance of his responsibility, his children would find things a bit easier than he had found them. Computers were not invented. Books and imagination were not only entertainment but brought knowledge and imagination to life. There is an old Irish saying that the man is the head of the house, but the woman is the neck that turns the head. That was and is in many cases the truth and so it should be. Wars were known in every generation and Mothers watched, hiding tears as young boys seemed to walk away and disappear. Rusted bikes and worn ball caps were tucked away lovingly, kept as reminders that someone special had once brought light into places seldom visited for long by youth. Words like honor, responsibility, courage and respect were commonplace in those days and in those homes. Long summers days were dotted with memories of a Mothers flour covered apron and warnings of "no sweets before dinner". Perhaps even artists like Norman Rockwell failed to clearly portray a Mothers love for her children.

The characters of those days were as big as the dreams of a young boy. Unlike the seasons however many of those characters have gone, and have not returned. The reason is that these days we wait for the media to tell us not only what the weather will be like, but how we will feel during it. Adventure is often found on computers or video games, not beside murky ponds or aloft in the neighbor's tree. Microwave ovens defrost and bake oddities in plastic containers and we have lost touch with our natural world.

There are still wars and Mothers still watch as the young ones they nurtured wave what all too often is a last farewell. I think that character takes nurturing as well. It is planted in wonder and amazement and is watered with respect. It is often passed by in our hurried lives, but if we look we can still find it. Character is budding in the feelings we feel when our flag waves in gentle breezes. It is demonstrated when an elderly person removes their hat as it passes by. It is seen in the sparkle in the eyes as a senior describes the seasons that they have seen come and go. Character is much like a hungry child standing outside a store window that is filled with treats. Someone simply has to invite them in. These days it takes character to do that. May GOD Bless America and revive her character. Americans for America.

©Mike McConnery/Baden K9 Incorporated, August 01, 2006

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