Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Gainful Employment

Since I had Veterans Day off from classes, I had time to think about the sacrifices of the men and women who have fought and died to protect our rights and freedoms in America. The Declaration of Independence states that human beings are endowed with unalienable rights, and among these rights are "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

For many, happiness is largely tied into employment. We are happier when we are working and able to provide for our needs and the needs of our families. Also, we invest so much time and energy into work that much of our personal satisfaction comes from our jobs. If we have a bad day at work, it can affect us so much emotionally that we take it home with us, which then can affect our loved ones. If we do well at work, we feel better emotionally.

So since happiness is tied so intimately to our work, I thank our veterans that they have served to protect our right to the "pursuit of gainful employment." In America, we have the opportunity to strive for the "American Dream." I see the "American Dream" as everyone having the opportunity to set a personal goal (perhaps a dream job) and live in an environment that encourages personal drive and innovation towards that goal.

I am thankful to live in a country that fosters opportunity and rewards vision, creativity, and personal drive. I am thankful to all the veterans (especially the commissioned young men and women who I graduated with from the Virginia Military Institute) that have served or are serving to protect our freedom to pursue our hopes and dreams, including our dream jobs.