By: Phil Williams
In the midst of a long-range patrol, my team conducted a “village assessment” in the early days of the war in Afghanistan — a snapshot of life in remote areas to determine whether Taliban or Al Qaeda holdouts were present. We gathered active and passive intelligence for a clearer picture of the area of operations, and sometimes we gleaned meaningful ways to better the lives of a war-torn people.
On this occasion, I spoke to a village elder somewhere in the middle of the backside of nowhere who spent several minutes telling me how horrible everything was: “The Taliban blew up the school” … “The mosque has a leaking roof” … “The crops are dying” … “The bombs killed many goats” … “The well has run dry.” I finally held up my hand and asked through my interpreter, “Why do you live here?” He was incredulous that I would ask such a thing! This was their home!
Okay. Fair enough. If you love a place and call it home……great! I find no fault with choosing to stay where you love even if it’s not the best of the best. But are you going to wallow in your complaints? Are you going to obsessively ruminate on what you don’t have? Or are you going to impact your culture, build your community, and make your choice of home a better place. A recent story out of Dearborn, Michigan, told of a large crowd gathered as part of an Islamic religious holiday. As the crowd gathered, a local Islamic activist began to lead them in shouts of “Death to America!” While absorbing all that comes from being a resident of the nation that does more, has more, and means more than any on the face of the planet, they yelled, “Death to America!”
I will repeat my question: Why do they live here?! We can put together a GoFundMe site and buy a set of plane tickets in no time. They can all be on their way to places where they can shout, “Death to America,” while not having to breathe our air. The crowd that day in Dearborn was so busy complaining, so busy hating, that they lost sight of what they have.
The American Dream is still very much alive.
“The American Dream is not that every man must be level with every other man.” Ronald Reagan once said. “The American Dream is that every man must be free to become whatever God intends he should become.” But attaining that American Dream does not come from a life filled with complaints. It comes from a life filled with appreciation, aspiration, and a willingness to see complaints as nothing but mere obstacles left to be overcome.
Why do we live here? Why do we live right here? Truthfully, my own “right here” is North Alabama and there’s no place else I’d rather be.
There’s a lot to be proud of right now. A great deal of positive attention is being given to the Southeast, particularly Alabama. President Donald Trump spoke recently at the University of Alabama’s commencement, “…for the past four years, you’ve lived in a state known for its fighters, its champions and its warriors, and you’ve lived in the great state of Alabama, one of the greatest of them all. From Huntsville to Birmingham, from Montgomery to Mobile, and from right here in Tuscaloosa to the gleaming shores of the Gulf of America,” he told the graduates. FBI Director Kash Patel called Redstone Arsenal one of the FBI’s “crown jewels” with “capabilities that don’t exist anywhere else.” A recent Government Accountability Office report on the location of Space Command confirmed that Alabama outpaced all other competitors for such things as quality of life, cost of living, robust capabilities, and ease of access. Mercedes Benz announced a major production expansion for its Alabama plant. The new US Steel/Nippon Steel agreement includes massive investment in our state.
This is where generations of my family have lived and worked to make our mark in politics, business, the military, our churches, and communities. I have been in many other places, but I always wanted to come back. I love the way the seasons change in North Alabama and the beaches stay white on our coast. Everywhere you go there’s a church steeple in the distance, and folks still see their neighbors at the grocery store. We still buy wrapping paper from neighbor’s kids for the school fundraiser, and you can order sweet tea at any restaurant in this state. We have the finest research facilities, medical innovations, manufacturing base, and small businesses anywhere. Alabama’s active military and veteran community is stronger than most, and we thank them for their service all year around.
But I’m also not content to just let it be. I live here, and I want my “here” to be great. Is it possible for Alabama to be better? Yes, 100%! I get frustrated with the politics and the politicians (I was one!) but I see a caliber of political leadership here that I would put up against any other.
Bragging rights all around.
Do people appreciate where they live? Do they try to make it better?
Wherever “here” may be, ask yourself why do I live here? Be mindful of the reasons why you live where you live. Complaining is a fool’s errand. Mere complaints solve nothing. Move past the complaints and make your “here” better.
I know why I live here. I know what we’ve got, and I know what we can be.
So why do you live here? And what are you going to do about it?
By: Phil Williams
June 6, 2025
