On Friday morning as I was getting dressed for work, I was struck with a simple question. Do I wear my American flag scarf with my blue dress? 

Thoughts floated through my head: Who will I offend if I’m wearing something patriotic? My scarf is cool. I really really want to. I love my Country and our Flag.

Why am I justifying my patriot pride? It is insidious how pervasive this line of thought has become in America. Shame on me for falling for it. Since when did I fall in step with the “Stepford Wives” (circa 1975)? Oh no! What a creepy thought!

Yes, I try to stay away from politics as much as possible in my life. But the “group think” thing is really creeping me out (yes my 80s slang is in full swing today). My experience as a young adult in the late 70s and 80s was to think for myself. Express myself as an individual.

It wasn’t easy. There have always been cliques. The cliques remain strong by degrading those who don’t fall in line with the way the group dresses, talks, and thinks. The renegade in my soul shudders. I’m a ‘live outside the box’ kind of person. I have traditional viewpoints but some of my views are way, way out there. That’s okay because, right now in America I can explore my thoughts and dreams out loud.

Unfortunately the ‘Titans of Group Think’ are clashing for control. I believe our American way of life is at stake. I feel my freedom to think and dream for myself is under attack. It hurts my heart. I am having trouble figuring out who represents what faction with the “noise” created by so many groups. As best as I can tell there is there are two main groups:

• One is fueled by big money and the media. They seem to be using fear to fast track the country to a socialist system. These are the “You can’t take care of yourself, let us care of you” crowd. Reminds me of Grimm’s Fairy Tales (shudder).
• The other group seems to be fueled by big money and politics, to keep the country mired in back room deals and secret machinations. Should I say it? What the Hey! I’m from the south…Good Ol’ Boys in the Closet!

All of this is at the expense of the working class. Looking back at history, the working class gets screwed by both of these systems. I don’t want either. I don’t want to be an ‘Elite’ or a ‘Worker Bee.’ I want to be Milly. In the 1700s one group of working class rose up to declare freedom and liberty as priorities. The Constitutional Republic was born. Dictatorship and Monarchies are old school. Socialism and communism are financially irresponsible. True democracy is chaos. While not perfect by any means, I’ll take my young Constitutional Republic that gives me freedom from the Group Think clique.

Back in the day I didn’t I want to be a hippie, yuppie, preppie, punk, metal head, or any other number of clichés. Unless I was in character of course {wink}. As I transition to new dreams and use my freedom to figure out how to live them. I chose to wear my flag scarf. Even if I don’t want to fight about politics, I choose to be a patriot. Just between you and me, I will fight for my Country and the Constitution. I really do enjoy my right to be me, speak my mind, and write what I feel.

Be brave and enjoy being yourselves! God Bless You my fellow Americans,

Milly

P.S. I’ll get off my soapbox now…