O Beautiful

I had purchased postage stamps at our local Post Office counter and was waiting to pick up my back mail when I overheard a dedicated Afro-American postal service clerk as he displayed a new Commemorative Stamps Group with the awesome art work of Gary Crabbe titled “O Beautiful” and as he described it he added a hint of melody, “for spacious skies” and the middle-aged blonde lady customer responded “For amber waves of grain”, he continued with “For purple mountain majesties” and I could not resist adding, “Above the fruited plain:” and then all three of us sang, “America! America! God shed His grace on thee,” and as the three of us stood just a little taller we sang out quietly together “And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.”

Then I received my back mail and she made her purchase and we both headed for the exit. She said to me, “Withou doubt that was the most wonderful and memorable visit I have ever made to the post office.” I felt the same way. And so, dear readers, now that you have read this story will you join us as we all sing out, loud, proud to be Americans, “America! America! God shed His grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.”