It’s Sept. 11 again, that time of year where we all get patriotic for a day. Then it’s Sept. 12 and we all go back to our political whining, ranting of “health care” this and “Obama” that.

How much do we really appreciate the country we live in? We’re one of the freest nations in the world. Why don’t we seem to care?

Americans have more reasons to be happy than almost, if not all, of the other nationalities in the world. However, according to a Newsweek poll, American’s are only the 23rd happiest citizens of this planet.

We live in this country, we get all these benefits, we have people we don’t even know fighting for us and our freedom in another country, and many of us only remember that one day a year.

I’m guilty of this, too. I also take advantage of our freedoms and complain about what I shouldn’t.

I gripe about gas prices when, according to ecofuture.org, only 8 percent of the world’s population owns a car. I grumble about slow Internet when only about 5 percent of the world even has access to the Internet. I grieve over my minimum wage paycheck when 80 percent of the world makes less than $10 a day, according to globalissues.org.

So what can we do this year to make it different?

Let’s go the extra mile to not run down our country when we could lift it up. I’m not talking about agreeing with what everyone in Washington decides; but for the little day-to-day things that won’t matter next week, let’s remember what country we live in before we open our mouths to complain.

Let’s make an effort to read the Bill of Rights this year. Even if you don’t understand most of it, try to soak in an appreciation of what it gives us.

Let’s remember that our freedoms are sacred, and that we enjoy them here while strangers are fighting for us on the other side of the world. We’re all related to a veteran. Call them up and tell them thanks, and don’t just do it because of what day of the year it is.

There are more ways we can be patriotic than I can list here.

Let Sept. 11 continue to be a day when you remember how our country pulled together, but let every other day be for filling pride in our hearts for the land we should love.