This past week, in my area of the world, the weather was amazing. If I could pick how the weather would be year-round, that would be it. My wife and I took advantage of the weather and cleaned and landscaped our yard. This caused me to make numerous trips to our local dump.

When I arrived for my first trip, I realized I wasn't the only one taking advantage of the nice weather. The dump was packed with people doing the same thing as me. There were trucks and trailers full of vegetation, old furniture, and many other things. Everyone was pretty much dressed the same, wearing their work clothes. The evidence of hard work was on most people's clothes and bodies; there wasn't a clean person there. But, everyone was smiling and seemed to be happy. People were walking from truck to truck, offering to help one another unload their trucks and trailers.

I didn't find it odd; I'm from the south, it's kind of what we do. However, it did make me think. As I helped other people and they helped me, I couldn't help but think, "What if every day, and everywhere was like this?" There were people of all ages, races, and genders there. Nobody asked the other one if they were a Republican or a Democrat or what religion they were. Nobody asked the other one to see their bank account to make sure they were in the socioeconomic circle before helping them. None of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was people needed help.

There is quite a lesson to be learned in this. If we can come together at the trash dump, why can't we do it every day, in every situation? If race, religion, or anything else doesn't matter at the trash dump, then why does it matter anywhere else? At the dump, we simply were Americans. At the end of the day, that's all that should matter. We are Americans and should take care of each other.

The world consists of 195 countries, and the population is nearly eight billion people. The population of the United States of America is a little over three hundred million people. We are just a small spoke in this big wheel called the world. We might be the "Super Power" of the world, but in all actuality, we are just a small part. We are also very lucky to live in such a wonderful country. It's really easy to get caught up in what special interests and the media want. Before anything else, we are all Americans and all we really have is each other.

I love our country as much as anyone else, and I am a proud American. But, I am a little envious of other countries in the way that their citizens show their pride. I am a huge fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). They have a roster of fighters from all over the world. Traditionally, fighters walk from their dressing room to the cage with the flag of their country. They either drape it over them or hold it high above their heads (American fighters included). Either way, it's with pride! Some of these fighters are from communist countries, extremely poor countries, or from countries with poor human rights practices. But, their fighters still proudly wave their flags. I may not agree with the stances of some of them, but I sure respect a person being proud of where they are from.

With the exception of Native Americans, all of us can trace our heritage to another country. I am a mixture of several European countries, the majority being Italy. Second to Italy is Ireland. I do not consider myself Italian American, Irish American, or any other country before America. I have never been to Italy, Ireland, or any other European country. My parents and grandparents were also born in America. I am an American, period. I am proud of my country and will “wave my flag” every chance I get.

I think we should trace our roots and research our ancestry. We should be thankful for our ancestors and recognize their sacrifices and struggles. We should also be thankful to live in the greatest country in the world. We are not without fault and we are not without problems. But, we are Americans and live in the greatest country on earth. We have freedoms and opportunities that no other country has. We can be different and have disagreements. But, in the end, we are all Americans and should stand together.

We may have problems in our country, but we should all be proud to be Americans. We should show that pride by treating each other the way I saw people being treated that beautiful day at the trash dump. The world has shown they do not give a f..k about America; we as Americans damn sure better. It starts with taking care of and giving a f..k about each other.