No matter what the doom-and-gloomers say, there is one fact I know to be an irrefutable certainty. Even on the very worst days, we are all blessed to be Americans.
Being an American means many things, but at the core I believe the will and want to help each other succeed is one of the shining characteristics of a true patriot.
Regardless of what the Left verbally spews, we live in the best country that has ever existed. This fact is never more evident than when we work together instead of pointing fingers.
When Americans work together history proves we’re undeterrable and unstoppable. It’s not the only attribute of an American, but it sure is important. This fact was obvious in a story about a young entrepreneur receiving help and guidance from the unlikeliest of entities.
Teenagers enjoy their summer in countless ways, but 13-year-old Jaequan Faulkner spent his working to help ease the monetary burden on his single mother.
With the help of his uncle, Faulkner set up Mr. Faulkner’s Old Fashioned Hot Dogs in his Minneapolis, MN neighborhood. He opened the hot dog stand to earn money to buy his school clothes for the upcoming year.
Just like in so many circumstances, people looking for the wrong in every instance caught this youngster completely unprepared. Someone made a formal complaint to city health inspectors. Surprisingly, rather than shut the hot dog stand down, the health department decided to use this as a positive learning experience for the young entrepreneur.
The cities Director of Environmental Health Dept., Dan Huff, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “When I realized what it was, I said, No, we’re not going to just go shut him down like we would an unlicensed vendor.” Huff preferred to make this a positive interaction with the hopes that this young man will continue his entrepreneurial spirit in the future.
The Health Department staff provided him with all required thermometers, cleaning utensils and sanitizers to get Mr. Faulkner’s Old Fashioned Hot Dogs up to code. And after the hot dog stand was up to code inspectors went above-and-beyond in paying the $87 fee required to get a permit.
This story could have played out so many different ways, but this young man was very lucky this matter crossed Huff’s desk rather than someone else.
Faulkner told The Tribune, “Surprisingly, I’m like, ‘Dang, the city’s not the bad guys like I have been told. They’re actually the ones who are helping me.”
Now, this is what it’s all about. Rather than shut him down, this government agency took the time and worked with this young man, educated him and provided positive reinforcement for his future endeavors.
Ensuring this young man succeeded when he was in the grasp of failure, was so refreshing to read. A simple act of help and working together, that’s what the American spirit is all about. They set him up for uccess rather than squash his dreams on the spot.
After receiving the help from the health department, Faulkner decided he wanted to give back in another way.
Next year, the young business owner has plans to put 25 cents from every hot dog sale toward raising awareness about youth depression and suicide —something Faulkner says he has struggled with personally.
“It’s the cooking and the people. I see someone go by with a frown on their face. I’m there with a smile, then I see a smile on their face. I just made a smile on somebody’s face by selling them a hot dog.”
There is so much power in helping others. A fact this young man has now experienced, and will suredly pass on.
When we help one another and work together, we build positives, togetherness and strength. When we spend all our time pointing fingers and placing blame, we tear it all apart.
