Yup… it’s mine. That hat in the photo belongs to me. I purchased it, that is to say a buddy of mine purchased it for me, two weeks ago at a Sanderson, TX convenience store just off Highway 90. A group of us were driving back from an impromptu 48-hour guys road trip to Marathon and Big Bend where we hiked a bit, drank and ate a bit, and solved several critical world problems. The nice woman behind the counter bet me and my friend that the only time that hat would be worn was between her register and our truck. Well, she is going to lose that bet, big time.
She is going to lose that bet, because the 4th of July is upon us and I am going to rock (wear) that hat all weekend. My family is heading to Melinda’s hometown of Chestertown, Maryland. July 4th is great everywhere, but they really do it right in the East. At night, on final approach to the Baltimore/Washington airport, you can count the different firework shows in all the towns on the Chesapeake Bay shoreline. It’s a beautiful thing.
A quick recap. In a span of three weeks, I will go from West Texas to the Eastern Shore of Maryland (2000 miles one way) safely and economically. I have been and will continue to work most of this time thanks to the remarkable technology that we are all suddenly experts at using. All the while, I will adhere to pandemic safety protocols that Sendero drafted and the city, state, and federal government recommend. Only in America!
Yes, these are odd times. Pandemic, oil price shock, and some very real social unrest. But as they say, “We Got This.” Despite some in the media insisting that we live in fear, Americans are all getting better at productively dealing with the Pandemic (it has been 100 years since our last one after all, we’re a little out of practice). At a recent stop at a jam packed Bucee’s on I-35 I observed about 75% of independent minded Texans wearing masks! Companies are doing their best to get back on-line. And the national conversation about race and community is becoming more reasonable and productive.
There is work to be done and improvements to be made. There always will be. But the United States of America is still “that shining city upon a hill.” There is not a close second. Americans are hard-wired to solve problems, innovate, and win. That is what we are doing at Sendero and that is what I observe most folks are doing around the country. And that is what I will be reflecting on this 4th of July weekend… with a Stars and Stripes Cowboy hat firmly affixed to my head.
God Bless America!
Edward A. Hart
ehart@sendero.com
