As we come to the end of another national election, many of us exercised our right to participate in the democratic process and elect our national leader. And while some may be thrilled and others not happy with who won, we should be thankful for the process and that we are not living in a country where corruption is the absolute determining factor in the outcome. Many countries hold elections that are rigged by backroom deals and payoffs. While our country has its share of problems, we can all have a certain level of confidence in the process. 
What does it mean to you to be an American? Think about it for a few moments. Sometimes we can be moving through everyday life and take it for granted. Here are a few things it means to me (Mark). It all revolves around freedom. We all just had the freedom to go and cast our votes for who will run the country for the next four years. We have the freedom to live where we choose and the freedom to choose the kind of work we want to do. We have the freedom to practice whatever religious beliefs we have. We have the freedom to pursue whatever our definition of the American dream is. For some, it is creating a business that becomes their legacy that is passed down from generation to generation. For some, it is merely working hard to provide a nice lifestyle for their families and an education that equips their children to better pursue their dreams. For others, the dream may be more about passing on values and beliefs than it is about money or things. Whatever it is, we all have a certain amount of freedom to do our own thing. We can decide what we want to spend our time on.
I think about the time we are living in now and the span of time that I have lived, and I am thankful that I have not had to experience the hardships that many others did to get us to this point. The study of history has made me sit back sometimes in amazement at what those who have come before us went through in their lives. Past times that come to mind are times of war, famine, economic depression and many situations of personal hardship. Everything from the colonists coming here to establish a new country to the Civil War to the Great Depression to World Wars I and II to where we are today. During these times, people lived hard lives to establish something for those who would come along next.
When thinking about those whohave sacrificed something for the greater good, it is natural to think about our troops, who are working and in some cases dying to keep us safe from harm. With that in mind, The Retirement Guys have participated the past few years in what we call our Community Give Back Campaign.
We have tried to think of ways we can give back to our community as a sign of appreciation for the freedom and opportunity we have to do what we do. We have participated in causes like Vision Kitchen, Race for the Cure and Miracle Christmas. A cause that is near and dear to our hearts is Adopt a Platoon. This is an organization that allows you to adopt one soldier or an entire troop and send them things like handwritten letters and packages of goodies. The Retirement Guys just finished sponsoring a troop of 35 soldiers who have recently come home. With Veterans Day coming up, we have decided to sponsor another troop and will be sending them things like snacks (nuts, ramen noodles, sunflower seeds, granola bars, dried fruits, jerky, Slim Jims, etc.), books, board games, puzzle books, playing cards, etc. It is a small token of our appreciation and we are told how much our troop members look forward to receiving these items.
We encourage you to join with us. If you are reading this column and are interested in participating, there are several ways to do so. If you belong to a company or organization, you may want to consider adopting your own troop. You can get more information by going to www.adoptaplatoon.org/site/. You could also participate with The Retirement Guys and drop off donations to us here in Maumee of the things listed above. Our contact person in charge of this project locally is Dana Nehren. She can be reached at our office at (419) 842-0550. May God bless you and your families and God Bless America.
For more information about The Retirement Guys, visit www.retirementguysnetwork.com. Securities and Investment Advisory Services are offered through NEXT Financial Group Inc., Member FINRA / SIPC. NEXT Financial Group, Inc. does not provide tax or legal advice. The Retirement Guys are not an affiliate of NEXT Financial Group. The office is at 1700 Woodlands Drive, Suite 100, Maumee, OH 43537. (419) 842-0550.
