Creed is EVERYWHERE!

It’s amazing how American Creed is expressed so diversely in our country. When you think of American Creed, most would seek out the more patriotic things that just scream “AMERICA!”. The U.S. Flag, the Statue of Liberty, the Pledge of Allegiance, all these just pop into your mind when American Creed is mentioned. Do you ever think of the small things that may stand for American Creed? Many Americans miss the small things in our lives or overlook them. These things carry a message about American Creed that we need to be reminded of as Americans, whether it’s a simple word, symbol, or ritual.

A compelling message of our American Creed: Diversity. When we hear “diversity”, it’s the typical answer of “race, religion, etc”. What Americans are missing are the messages open in plain sight throughout our daily lives. In an article that talked about what American Creed has on our country, the article stated that “ . . . most things contain a reference pertaining to diversity.” To me, that just talks of the American Creed that we’ve been trying to push at Americans since the integration of all people.

There are symbols that I believe have the message of American Creed that Americans have been missing or overlook in their lives. One symbol/ritual is the buffet. The MOST American thing that people think of, but isn’t usually connected or associated with the idea of American Creed. The way I tie American Creed with a buffet is that idea of having diversity. In this comparison, we use diversity as a way to display how Americans can choose to follow a variety of paths, which they are free to choose. A buffet has all the choices you want when you want to eat: chicken, steak, salad, anything you choose. The freedom to choose your food carries the same message as the freedom to choose what you want your future to hold. But, with that freedom comes the idea of taking things for granted. The idea goes back to the buffet, and how a person chooses to get the same food item over and over until he/she gets tired of it. Americans are given so much freedom that they don’t take advantage of all the things they’re given since “it’s their choice”.

American Creed can be shown in other ways as well, like actions. To me, I feel an action that really shows American Creed is a display of power. Now when I say power, I’m not talking about, “I-have-the-power-to-control-and-command-people-to-do-my-bidding” sort of thing. The power I’m talking about is the power of unification; to stand together as one people. There was a video discussing the idea of “How To Understand Power”. One of the aspects of the video mentioned the idea of how people remind others of the “social norm”. To me, I’m wondering how does the “social norm” connect with the idea of unified power? In the video, the power to talk and guide people allows them to feel unified and gives the sense that they are not alone. There were multiple occasions in the video where random people interacted with others who looked as if they weren’t having a good day. Those same people who were given guidance repeated those same things towards another person they felt needed some comfort. It is the “social norm” that people come together and remind each other of the great place they live in.

American Creed is all around us in some shape, form, or idea. From the diversity of the buffet or to the power of unification through the “social norm”. Our American Creed is what defines us as Americans, and our Creed is a message that we use to power our train of thought. Evidence of your American Creed is everywhere, you just need to look deep enough and find the hidden messages of your American Creed. It’s the Great American Creed Scavenger Hunt, where the clues are all around, it’s just a matter if you’ll find the hints of your Creed in them.