Todd’s Blog

This is my second Independence Day as a US Citizen so I thought I would re-post a few older blogs from my days as a MySpace blogger to recount my citizenship journey. I hope you enjoy…

Thursday, March 27, 2008 – Becoming a Citizen

On Friday, March 28, 2008 I will be sworn in as a US citizen.  This is something I have wanted to do for quite some time but always found a reason to put off.  I’m excited to finally become a citizen of the land I call home, the greatest nation on earth.  I’m excited to share the same status here as my wife and three children who are US citizens by birth.  I’m excited to reach a goal that’s been on my list for some time.  It feels great!  I’m even excited about removing my greencard from my wallet… it’s so thick!    In the coming months I’ll sing my fist national anthem, recite my first pledge of allegiance and celebrate my first Independence Day as a US citizen.  This Fall I will vote for the very first time in the US Presidential Election.  I will do all of these with a genuine sense of wonder and gratitude.  They will be completely new experiences for me! 

I share all this for two reason.  First of all, it’s a great personal accomplishment so I just want to tell others about it.  But I hope it’s also a reminder that what you may have received by birth and maybe taken for granted is a great privilege.  Men have died for you and me to enjoy this privilege.  I hope you will give this some thought.  If you do, maybe your next national anthem or pledge of allegiance will mean more than it ever has, too.

Thanks for reading!

God bless the USA!

TV

Saturday, November 01, 2008 –  DC Rocked!

(7/4/2009 Note: We spent my 1^st Independence Day in Washington, DC.  It was an amazing trip and I’m pretty sure this blog was created days afterward. I think the date is an error or reflects some editing a did months later so I place it here in the order in which I think it belongs)

Well, I started a blog half way through our DC trip but didn’t finish it.  We ran nonstop while we were there.  We’ve been home a week now and while uploading pictures to Facebook I began reflecting on the trip.  A couple of impressions have really stayed with me;

1)      America exists because of bold leadership.  Our nation was courageously founded on principles and ideals by daring leaders.  The same kind of daring leadership brought an end to slavery after our nation was established.  The same kind of courage is displayed in our war memorials and Arlington Cemetery.  I think we sometimes forget how fearless Washington, Lincoln and other leaders were.  We forget how much was sacrificed (then and now) so we can live freely.  The principles for which they fought are a given for most of us today.  In the early years of our nation’s history these ideals were often considered controversial, daring and perhaps a little crazy.  Even today there are many who think this.  I’m so grateful that individuals were (and still are) willing to risk so much to found our nation and keep it on course.   It makes me wonder why I so easily get to be a recipient when others had to fight, even die, for it.  I’m so blessed because of what they did.

2)      America is great because of the vision of it’s people.  The monuments with their engraved quotes, the grand architecture of the memorials and buildings and the stunning artifacts in the Smithsonian all display tremendous vision.  I was especially enthralled with the Air and Space Museum.  The story of the Wright brothers was fascinating.  We now take air transportation for granted.  A few generations ago the idea was unfathomable.   These gentlemen where convinced it was possible.  They patiently revised equations and equipment until it happened.  I could have spent a day in that exhibit alone.  The history of space flight was also mind blowing.  The vision and the determination that drove our space endeavors are tremendous.  As I read the story I couldn’t help but wonder about the fears, the ‘what ifs’ and the nagging doubts that could have kept it from happening… but none of these things stood in the way.  WOW!  What a challenge for each of us.  What do my fears keep me from?  Where do my doubts and assumptions keep me from going?  I have a vision for my life, my music and my ministry.  What’s keeping my feet on the ground?  Why does the phrase keeping your feet on the ground have a positive connotation for most people?  Who made that rule?  What is possible that I have yet to imagine?  I want to be like these visionaries and ‘fly’ in the face of impossibility and skepticism.  Am I willing to take what goes with it?  Whoah… this is getting heavy!

I could write pages about our trip and the impact it had on me.  It was an amazing way to spend my first Independence Day as a US citizen.

On the lighter side, our family had a blast!!!!  We enjoyed being together, getting lost together, beating the streets in the hot sun and even 22 hours in the minivan (round trip).  We’re still talking about it and we will be for a while.  I can’t wait to go back!  To see our Facebook photos, click here.

Thanks for reading my cyber ramblings and God bless!

TV

Thursday, October 23, 2008 – Guess what I did today?

Guess what I did today?  I voted!  For the first time ever in a US presidential election!  Our county began early voting last week and Kelly and I decided that today was the best day for our schedules.  It was very cool to go together.  She has much more experience at being a US citizen and a voter so I just followed her lead. J So here was my to-do list for the day…

Wednesday, 10/22/08

• Mow the lawn
• Buy dog food
• Follow up on emails
• Help choose the leader of the world’s greatest nation

Wow!!!  Perhaps my exhilaration seems a bit over the top to some but I can’t help it!  As I stood there looking at the touch screen asking me to confirm my choice, it just hit me… I’m shaping history!  I’m no longer a spectator of the process… I’m a participant in the process!  What a privilege I have as a US citizen!  Having lived here for 17 years before gaining citizenship (recovering procrastinator) it was awesome to just walk up to the voting booth and tell ‘em who I wanted to be president.  I guess it will be a few weeks before I find out it they listened or not.

So, whether you vote early or wait for the big day (and the big lines) I hope you vote this year, too, and I hope you experience the thrill!!!!  God bless the ….USA….!

(7/4/2009 And here’s a beautiful rendition of The Star Spangled Banner from the Wells Family Band. They’re a talented group I learned about when I submitted my song The Story to them months ago)