We Are All Americans!
Jay and Karen, along with Ringo, share thoughts on the need for ‘POISE’ during this election time and the importance of remembering that ‘We are all Americans!
As we approach this historic election, it’s vitally important that we all pause for a moment and take a deep breath. Next week, there will be winners, and there will be losers. And, despite the fervor, the passion and to some extent the divisiveness and animosity, the truth is that we are all Americans. We are blessed to live in the greatest country in the history of the world. And, whatever the outcome of the voting next week, life will move on. And, in a positive way – especially if we can all remember to have POISE. That magical posture – combining ‘peace’ and ‘power’ – in an attitude of calm and confidence.
At times like this it is especially important to have a sense of historical context. Many years ago, there was a time during the Civil War that the state of our union was truly hanging in the balance by a thread. Following a heavy defeat by Confederate forces at Fredericksburg, President Abraham Lincoln was losing public confidence in the North. “We are now on the brink of destruction”, he was quoted as saying to then Senator Orville Browning. Despite the despair, Lincoln was not a man known for giving into his circumstances. He’d faced adversity many times before in his life, as if to uniquely prepare him for what he would face as President. Even though they were the enemy, he saw those that fought for the Confederacy as his “brothers,” and it was his belief that, “All American citizens, whether they be from the North or South, should dwell together in the bonds of fraternal feeling.” It’s been noted by many of his observers and historians just how poised and even keeled Lincoln was even in the face of the possible dissolution of our nation. As the famed abolitionist Frederick Douglas once noted, “There is safety in his presence”.
As we well know, President Lincoln would emancipate those who were enslaved in our country, the North would eventually win the war, and our nation would remain unified. This was due in large part to President Lincoln’s ability to remain poised and act with grace and humility throughout the conflict.
Today, we are on the eve of an election during what has been yet another divisive time in our country’s history. Regardless of the outcome, debates will continue on, and we will still likely disagree with some of our fellow citizens on the issues. Yet, let us be reminded of what the grace, poise, and humility of Abraham Lincoln accomplished through even harder times. His example is a demonstration of the virtues of such civility, and a lesson for each of us as we look for the means to move beyond such divisive times. At the end of the day, we are all Americans.
‘Pocket’ the Hero Dog!
If you know me well, you know there are two things I really enjoy talking about - sunshine and dogs. So, not surprisingly, I was incredibly inspired, as I think you will be too, by a recent story I saw on the local news about a dog in Kentucky. It turns out not only to be a great ‘dog story’ with a happy ending – but also led me to dig a little and learn some interesting facts about ‘rescue dogs’ in the United States.
Here’s the story: A local woman went out for an evening walk and got confused - later slipping, falling and hitting her head causing her to become unconscious. What began as a two-day search, ended with an incredible rescue by Pocket, a ‘search and rescue’ Terrier. In so many cases of people going lost, the results are not what we hope for, but in this inspirational story a little hero made a huge difference in a person’s life and the outcome of someone’s future. Note: You can click on the link below and see the full story.
Meanwhile, interestingly, after being inspired by the story I did a little research of my own. To my surprise, it turns out there are only 150 volunteer ‘search and rescue’ air scented dogs in the country. I thought there would be many more. Just imagine. If there were more dogs like Pocket in every state, the outcome could mean more people rescued, more lives saved and more brighter days ahead.
I invite you to watch for yourself this amazing story about a great canine friend - https://www.wmur.com/article/stitch-pocket-the-rescue-dog/34465499 and I ask you to join me in supporting an organization to help train, deploy and take care of these four-legged heroes by taking a look at searchdogfoundation.org
‘First in the Nation’ Midnight Voting – A New Hampshire Tradition
New Hampshire holds a lot of firsts in American politics. Everyone knows of our ‘First in the Nation Primary’ but less well known is another ‘first.’ We are the first to vote on election day. Once again it is one of New Hampshire’s small towns that shines, Dixville Notch. All six (yes, 6) voters in the town of Dixville gather at midnight to cast their vote and it consistently draws national attention. In fact, more media are there to watch the voting than voters who cast ballots. The votes are tallied nearly immediately, and these early results are reported for all the world to hear.
Many people do not know this but the midnight voting almost did not happen in Dixville this year, and the reason is a very New Hampshire story. So, New Hampshire law requires that a minimum of six people man a polling location. Those six people must come from the town that the polling location covers and Dixville had a problem… they only had 5 residents! Thankfully, a man was moving back to Dixville and agreed to work the polls so they could have a polling location and thus the midnight voting.
Not to worry though, there are four other locations in New Hampshire that conduct the midnight voting ready to pick up the torch should Dixville one day… well, not have enough people!
Positive Profile of the Week: Governor Chris Sununu
This week we are delighted to honor New Hampshire‘s 82nd Governor, Chris Sununu.
In 2016, Chris Sununu, was first elected as New Hampshire’s Governor. In so doing, he was continuing in his family's proud tradition of public service at the highest levels by being elected to the top position in the Granite State. His father, John H. Sununu, served as Governor in the 1980s before becoming chief of staff to President George H.W. Bush, and his brother, John E. Sununu, served in both Congress and the United States Senate representing New Hampshire.
Since first taking office, Chris Sununu has been a tireless leader in protecting ‘The New Hampshire Advantage’ – our vibrant business environment, without either a sales or income tax. In so doing, he easily won reelection in 2018. And, it is no surprise that he was also ranked as the #1 Governor in the country by the Cato Institute, as well as only one of four Governors to receive an A rating for fiscal prudence and protecting taxpayers during Covid-19.
Moreover, during these unprecedented times, Governor Sununu has worked with the business community to get the necessary PPE into our state to help our nurses and first responders. He has listened to leaders in the state to understand what we need to do to keep our economy moving. And, as a result of his leadership, New Hampshire has fared far better than so many other states during the pandemic.
Also, importantly, as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has attempted to tax Granite State residents working at home in New Hampshire during the pandemic, he filed a lawsuit in the United States Supreme Court to protect them from this overreaching intrusion.
Both Karen and I have hosted and attended numerous events that recognize our remarkable Governor. We are proud of Chris’ superior accomplishments and look forward to many more great things to come. New Hampshire is blessed to have Governor Chris Sununu at the helm.
Quotes of the Week: Poise
“The key to winning is poise under stress.”
Paul Brown
“Poise is a word that seems to have slipped out of the lexicon. There's no emoji for it.”
Martha MacCallum
“Boxing is not always about standing in the middle going toe to toe. It's about poise and grace under extreme pressure.”
Peter Berg
“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”
Audrey Hepburn
“I think I could describe the perfect quarterback. Take a little piece of everybody. Take John Elway's arm, Dan Marino's release, maybe Troy Aikman's drop-back, Brett Favre's scrambling ability, Joe Montana's two-minute poise and, naturally, my speed.”
Peyton Manning