My family is made up of a variety of religions and backgrounds. Families like mine are so typical of Bergen County and the USA in general. The US is truly a melting pot of all sorts of backgrounds,religions, etc. As a result, we always considered our patchwork quilt of people pretty normal.
The family I grew up in was 100% Armenian. My grandparents and 2 aunts were born overseas. I never knew 1 aunt. She died as a youngster in a cholera epidemic. My father’s family was so poor that they could not afford good medical care for her. That was common for new immigrants in the early 20th century. People came her from all over the world with literally nothing but their belongings.
The United States represented not only freedom but safety and opportunity too. My family worked hard, pulled themselves up and became highly successful. Why? Because the United States of America allowed the opportunity to do so. They managed through the Great Depression and proudly volunteered during World War II. Business success came post WWII.
We went out into American society, met new people, we married and became a collection of different cultures. This makes us stronger and more vibrant. We became Americans. No matter what hit us, we always knew that the chance to improve is here where we live – America.
We celebrate all holidays in December and welcome the coming New Year with an upbeat attitude. While the tough times our country is going through has touched us too, I still believe in the strength of the American spirit and everything our country stands for.
Ok, I realize this may be a bit corny but it’s true. The American grit and can do attitude has gotten us through a lot. To quote George C. Scott in the movie Patton – “Failure is un American.” The heart of the American spirit is that we don’t quit. We work together blending all our cultures into a stronger country.
We’ve all been through a time of enormous challenge. While it’s not going to get better quickly, it will indeed get better. We will all prevail and the United States will remain the best place on earth.
2011 is going to be an improvement over 2010. As a real estate agent, I am convinced we’re past the worst and are getting better every day. The increase in buyer calls to the office, internet inquiries and traffic at open houses has been tremendous since mid November. I’ll bet all of you a dinner on me that by the end of 2011 you’ll see that this is true.
Real estate is one of the key components of our economy. When real estate recovers, the economy recovers. People buy homes when they feel confident in the future. As a result, the increase in home buyer traffic is a clear sign that we are on the mend.
Now I’m on to Christmas with my family. I will be back to talk to you again after the first. Thanks for tuning in and God Bless the United States. We will never stay down forever. Barbara
