Respect
(During the ongoing update of my Blog and Website, I’m republishing this post I ran back on February 8, 2011, but with a few updates. Thank you for your patience as we fully implement our new look!)
I’ve lived most of my life in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I’m old enough to remember when, if you admitted you were from the U.P., you were open to ridicule. We were called Yoopers – with a sneer. We were poor (25% unemployment many winters), we spoke with funny accents (Say ya to da U.P., eh?) and we had to cross a lot of bridges to get almost anywhere else in the world. Half the time we were left off U.S. maps or given to Canada. (And I do love Canada!)
Then we decided to claim the hard times. I don’t know who made this decision, maybe some unemployed entrepreneur who decided we needed Yooper bumper stickers. We laughed at the Yooper jokes, and we went out and cut wood for our winter heat and canned our garden produce and did a little ice fishing. We let people know – and reminded ourselves – that we are strong enough to brave tough climes and tough times.
And the funniest thing happened… Respect.
Welcome to our tribe, USA. Planet Earth. Human race. Tough times? Yep. Can we make it? Oh ya. Be tough. Look up. Believe.
Blessings, Sue
P.S. What do you respect?
That’s so great! Thanks for telling me, Donna.
Absolutely!
That advertisement gave me chills!!
Sue, we have no TV so didn’t see any of the Super Bowl commercials…until your blog post sent me on a google search for the Chrysler commercial about Detroit. I downloaded it, watched it, and immediately insisted that Fred come and watch it, too. His grandparents lived in Detroit, his parents were Detroiters until moving to EGR, and Fred has an undying love of auto history and the auto business. He spends hours “touring” via the web all the old auto plants that stand abandoned and in shambles. The Chrysler commercial made him tear up and choke up. What a statement! Thanks for your post!