We pre-boomers grew up in a time when there was no doubt that this country was the world leader in virtually everything we could think of. Our generation was born between 1930 and 1945, so we saw results of what a united people are capable of doing. Rising from the ashes of the Great Depression, being drawn into fighting wars on two fronts and the launch of the post-war boom were just the beginning. During the next 50 years, more than any country in the world, we invented more products, our workers produced more goods and our government did more to improve the quality of life at home and abroad.

This was not an accident. America was always exceptional. From the time the early settlers arrived on our shores through the colonists' fight for freedom to the war on slavery and our joining in WWI, the citizens believed in doing what is right rather than what is easy. If others suffered, we suffered with them and tried to right the wrong, without regard for what dissenters might think or say.

The same kind of attitude prevailed in our nation's businesses, both large and small. A good idea became a great idea when people got excited and applied American ingenuity and old-fashioned hard work to make the dream come true. Our generation saw the advent of frozen food including pizza, television followed by TV dinners, jet travel, fast food restaurants, a man on the moon spawned Tang in several flavors as well as satellites, copying and answering machines, pagers, cell phones, personal computers and all the hi-tech gear that followed, plus much more.

Most of these inventions changed our lives forever and continue to prompt change as they inspire an ongoing flood of new and improved products vying for the consumer's attention - many of which will make our quality of life somewhat better, and all of them are designed to make money for the individuals and companies involved in bringing these products to the marketplace, here and around the world. America has always provided an atmosphere for creativity and we have shown the world how to market goods and services. So, while there's cheap labor available in other parts of the world, we are the ones with the ideas, build the initial products and provide the marketing capabilities to establish brands worldwide.

Because America creates what others eventually copy, we must continue to innovate in areas such as energy, food and pharmaceuticals for the world. The need to innovate applies to more than business ventures. Our educational system is in great need of help. Just as we test market products, it is vital to try then perfect new ways to better educate our children and prepare them for the changing world they will face. America's health care system needs to be studied and revamped to attend the needs of the aging citizens and to make it affordable to our younger population.

America's exceptionalism will be challenged in the years ahead. We must not let this happen from within. Instead, we have to view the problems facing us lemons and make some lemonade. That's the American way.
By: Don Potter
Don Potter, a Philadelphia native, was born in 1936 and is a 50 year veteran of the advertising agency business. Now living in Los Angeles, he has written two novels in retirement, frequently writes on marketing issues, and has a blog dedicated to pre-boomers (those born between 1930 and 1945).

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