The other day I had a thought, what do I own? My house is still the property of the mortgage company. Even if I did hold the deed one of Florida's notorious hurricanes can smash it to bits. Despite my best efforts fire ants seem to own my backyard. My wife is an independent person who can leave at any point. My cat is by no means my property. I am reminded of a cartoon which states, "Dogs think they're people. Cats think you're really stupid cats with food." My clothes will rot away or be given to Goodwill when I die. My soul is on loan from my Creator. My vote can be stolen via fraud or canceled by the political hack beside me in the next booth. My mind can be robbed via Alzheimer's. I own stocks whose value can dissipate via mismanagement. So what do I own? I own everything I am. The only thing I own is my character.

My character can not be robbed by death. If I am true and faithful then the aspects of my deeply held principles will live on in the hearts of my children. My character can be defamed but that stain lasts only if it is not protected by the memory of those who knew me best. If I live up to my principles, if I climb the summit of my beliefs and there plant my flag then any false accusations will be fallible and lacking permanence. My character can not be compromised without my consent. Character, like any other high concept, can only be given away.

Character is molded and built upon a foundation of everyday experiences. Moral behavior is an aspect of character but it is not the whole as saluting the flag is not the complete definition of patriotism. There are three foundations of character.

The first foundation must be the maintenance of a solid time commitment. The writer Nathaniel Emmons wrote, "I could never think well of a man's intellectual or moral character, if he was habitually unfaithful to his appointments." If you say you are going to be somewhere or someplace then, baring extraordinary unforeseen circumstances, there you are. You can not be an individual of character if your scheduling is subject to whims. If your word is meaningless in this area, why should you be trusted in any other?

The second foundation is the ability to look at and believe in something or someone greater than yourself. You are not the key to the universe's existence. Focusing on your own happiness, success, or security is like holding water in your hand. It will slip through your fingers and whatever is left over in your palm will leave you wanting. The gift of happiness is only obtained after it is given away. The avenue of success appears only after a long journey of adversity. The fortress of security is built upon the realization that your enemies are ultimately poor foes whose damage can be repaired or healed by the balm of time. The greater criminal is the invited guest of worry.

The third foundation is the ability to see the big picture of any situation. Today America has three capitals. The generals of information distribution hold sway in New York City. The bureaucratic tyrants write laws and plan larceny in Washington D.C.. The cultural pirates reside in the Los Angeles area. All three of these cities are essentially their own little worlds which sustain the delusion that all things orbit them thus most movies, TV programs, and media decisions are made in and for these small, select groups. Their nation is built on 3 dusty mountains. Ours is built on the amber waves of grain. Ninety percent of Americans are not involved in their decisions because they are too busy living their lives. They are working hard, playing fair, and teaching their children to do the same. They do not sneer at the three capitals, they laugh at their schemes while working overtime to remind their children that they expect them to behave better. Despite what happens on TV, actions have consequences. Despite what they may say in the bad news rooms, most folks are happy, healthy, and law abiding. Despite what laws are passed beneath the dimly lit capitol dome, taking someone else's money is never a substitute for hard work and no matter what the ACLU says, right and wrong still matter.

Preservation of character must be a priority for any person or any nation to survive. As a country our greatest villain is not Al-Qaeda but All-Indifference. Commitment to raising the tide of character will lift all ships and water the fertile grounds of tomorrow.