Common Ground

So believe it or not, but this article is not about football or the NFL. It's about Americans, our enduring spirit, strong sense of individualism, and our community strength.

BIG DAY FOR AMERICA

Yesterday was an eventful day for our young nation with lots of emotion, pomp, circumstance, celebration, and disappointment. The inauguration of President Biden and the farewell to President Trump. It was about democracy, our democratic republic, and a lot of politics.

But more importantly, it was just another day for Americans. We woke up, cleaned ourselves up, got dressed, and went about our day. I want to underscore "went about our day" because you see, THAT is the real America. Americans across the country run this country. We open the stores, move the goods, answer the call for support, cook the food, serve the food, eat the food and so on and on. WE ARE AMERICA.

In our America, our government is at it's root, simply our voice, a servant for our wishes based on representation. Now it may not feel like it much of the time and it may feel like the cart is not only in front of the horse, but detached, fully loaded and speeding down the hill away from the horse, but , believe it or not, it is actually up to each and every one of us, Americans.

So - why am I leading with the Buffalo Bills locker room photo, you ask? My inauguration day was special.

BUFFALO BACKGROUND

Some background will probably be helpful here. I was born in Buffalo, NY back in the 70's. I was raised in Lewiston, NY a suburb of Niagara Falls & Buffalo, and let me tell you, we're all Bills fans, BillsMafia. I was fortunate enough to go to the games with my family and my community through mostly tough seasons for the Bills, but also 4 magical years where we won more than any other team. But you know the story, we always lost the big game, the SuperBowl. We did all the tailgating, cooking, throwing the ball, shoveling snow to sit in our seats during December and January games, you name it, we did it. Although there wasn't the table smashing or condiment drenching - that happened later. Punchline - I'm a Bills fan, proud BillsMafia member (that's our built from the ground up fan base club name).

YESTERDAY. INAUGURATION

Back to yesterday. Mid afternoon I heard a knock on my front door. I grab a mask and open the door to see a stranger wearing a Buffalo Bills shirt. He introduces himself, points to my "You're in Bills Country" flag flying outside the house and says, "you a Bills fan, GoBills?" I say "of course, GoBills." Bills fans by the way, say GoBills like Hawaiians say "Aloha". This stranger, now friend, (his name is Don) tells me that a friend of his lived in my neighborhood and mentioned to Don that he saw a Bills flag. So Don grabs a new Bills hat and an autographed photo of #42 Butch Byrd, and heads over to my house to say hello and introduce himself as a fellow Buffalo Bills fan. So here we are full circle.

WHAT'S ANY OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH OUR COUNTRY?

First of all, Don did what many Americans do. He was being neighborly. He decided that yesterday was his day to meet another fellow American that he had only 1 thing in common with, our passion for the Buffalo Bills. We didn't talk about politics, religion, automobiles, weather, women, or anything else. We talked about the Buffalo Bills, tailgating, the "good 'ol days" of the SuperBowl teams and shared our common aspirations for many future SuperBowls that we can hopefully attend. As another aide, Buffalo is the city of good neighbors! The point is that Don took time out of his day, running America as all Americans do, to be an American, be neighborly, and just say hello.

BUT THEN SOCIAL MEDIA HAPPENED, AND IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK

I decided to share the story of Don on the #BillsMafia Facebook group. It's a closed group, where it's invite only (but a big family). I shared the story of Don and our Bills connection. Here's the thing. We're in the era of America where there is a lot of hate, a lot of "I'm right, you're wrong," "my facts are right, your facts are wrong." I shared the story in the BillsMafia and in 24 hours here's what happened:

• Over 7000 responses - 100% positive
• Over 700 specific positive comments

Here are a few of them:

"Were all connected together through this great organization. Whether you've been a fan for 1 year or 40 years, this team and the organization symbolizes all hard working Americans who strive for greatness. No matter the outcome in the next several weeks, I'm proud of this team and all they stand for. GO BILLS!!!!"

"Gave me goosepimples!!  Well it is said: "A Buffalonian NEVER meets a stranger" ... we are friends waiting to meet!"

"There is a man I see at work frequently and he wears a Bills mask. I have seen him so many times before, I said hello and he would respond very quietly or not at all. Last week, instead of saying hello I said loudly Go Bills!! He turned around and smiled and Yes! Go Bills!! Now when we see each other it is a loud and cheerful Go Bills greeting. It’s amazing what finding and acknowledging that thing in common does and what an amazing thing a bunch of boys in blue can do for a community and they have done for so many years. LETS GOOOOOO!!! BUFF-A-LOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

AND THE PUNCHLINE, SORRY I'M A STORYTELLER

We are America. It's up to us. We can't nor should we expect our government to solve our differences, our strife, our divisiveness. Our representatives reflect us, speak for us. So America, let's all find the 1, yes ONE DAMN THING we each have in common and celebrate it. Shout it off the rooftops, high five each other, knock on strangers doors, do what you have to, but find that one thing you have in common with another fellow American. That's how we do this.

TURNS OUT YOUR JUST A BILLS FAN AWAY FROM PEACE AMERICA.

#GoBills