What Happened to That Feeling?

I rewatched Miracle tonight. The movie about how the US hockey team defied ALL odds to defeat the Soviets in the 1980 Winter Olympics, which was one of the greatest upsets in sports history.

And it hit me in a way I wasn’t exp

ecting.

I remember watching that entire Olympic run as a kid —sitting there with my dad and my best friend. On the edge of our f*cking seats.

We weren’t analyzing politics. We weren’t debating anything.

We were just… proud.

Proud of our country. Proud of what those young men represented. Proud to be part of something bigger than ourselves.

And it made me stop and think tonight:

What happened to that feeling in our country? I still have it 100%.

But somewhere along the way, it seems like that kind of pride became complicated.

Like you’re supposed to question it. Tone it down. Or avoid it altogether.

But here’s the thing that’s hard to ignore:

Having traveled to many other countries as I have — even developed ones —

You start to realize how much we take for granted here.

The opportunities. The freedom to move, to build, to change direction. The sheer amount of possibility that exists if you decide to use it.

Is everything perfect in the US?

Of course not.

It never was.

But that doesn’t erase something that also feels true:

We are INCREDIBLY fortunate to be here.

And maybe what’s been lost isn’t blind pride…

It’s a balanced perspective.

The ability to see flaws —without losing appreciation.

Because that feeling I remember from back then?

It wasn’t about politics.

It wasn’t about being better than anyone else.

It was about belief.

Belief in something bigger. Belief that where you are matters. Belief that being part of it means something.

And honestly…I think a lot of people besides myself miss that feeling.