America Is My Country, Too #LetsTalk

Perhaps some of you do not know the story of how I came to land in Idaho. It’s a good time to share this story……

My Mom used to tell the story that I never got up and walked but rather I just got up one day and ran. If that was true, it is exactly how I have lived my life.

At 18 years of age, I landed a job at Pacific Telephone in Southern California. I moved out of my parent’s house and never looked back. I hit the ground running, eventually landing a few projects in Orange County that I led: one opening up phone stores and later in the frame, where we did the wiring that made the dial tone work. Good ole land lines! Ten years later, AT&T made the decision to break up the baby bell companies. At 28, I had an option to what was called an early retirement departure. Heck yes, I wanted to find out what it would be like to live somewhere else.

I should backtrack to the prior year. I took Amtrak on what was called the All America fare and traveled through five different western states: California, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and took the coastal route through California back to Orange County. In Colorado, I stopped in Denver and spent a few days in Steamboat Springs. In Idaho, I ended up in Ketchum. I knew there was a place calling me for a new home.

Back to Southern California, I took the early departure package, volunteered in the Yachting venue for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and afterwards, packed my belongings and moved to Ketchum, Idaho.

I love living in Idaho. I landed in Ketchum in 1984 and in 1997 I moved to Boise. I can honestly say that moving to Boise has challenged me to blossom personally, spiritually and professionally. One of my goals about moving to the capitol city of Idaho was to become more involved. I volunteered and met many people, most of which are now my family of friends. I finally got my real estate license and volunteered on committees for the multiple listing service and the local Realtor association. I could tell you more, but the point is that I got involved in my community.

I am constantly searching for the truth, the good in situations, for solutions. I listened to a piece on NPR this morning, their producers went to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC to ask visitors what being an American meant to them.

For me, being an American means having the freedom to explore opportunities in life. Both of my parents knew how important it was to be American: my Dad’s family immigrated from Spain to Mexico and landed in Texas. My Mom’s family immigrated from Spain and France, moving to Quito, Ecuador. My Mom then made the journey to Los Angeles where she met my Dad. My family’s history is over a hundred years ago, mind you, in this hemisphere.

Our parents demonstrated their appreciation for their American way of life, the lives they created for themselves and us kids. I would not be the person I am today if it were not for the opportunities they had and gave us kids.

America is just as much my country as it is for immigrants or refugees seeking a better life. America is Our Country.

I sure wish we could all agree on just that.

#AmericaDeservesBetter #AmericanOpportunity #BeTheChange