Gratitude Ain’t a Mood. It’s Oxygen.

Flag of Gratitude

We’ve all heard it: “You gotta have gratitude.”
Nice phrase. Gets tossed around like a bumper sticker or a morning mantra.
But I’m here to tell you — it’s not just a sometimes thing.
It’s an all the time thing. A way of life. A mindset. A f***ing operating system.

Ya see, I was a heavy drinker for years.
Big time. The kind of drinking that makes you forget you’re even alive until something breaks — your body, your bank account, or your soul.

And here’s the thing: it’s pretty damn hard to feel grateful when you’re in the shit.
You’re either sick, numb, or buzzed — and whatever form of “gratitude” you think you’ve got? It’s fake. It’s chemical. It’s fleeting.

But after I quit drinking?
It hit me like a freight train.
Suddenly, I was floored by the simplest things — sunlight, food, breath, opportunity. I’d wake up and thank God for stuff I used to ignore.
And then?
The blessings started showing up. One after the other.

That’s when it got real.

See, when you live with real gratitude — constant gratitude — it unlocks something bigger. And no, it ain’t you doing it. That’s your ego talking.
These are blessings. You’re just finally awake enough to receive them.

Don’t be the guy who only says “thanks” when stuff is going your way.
Be the guy who stays grateful when the wheels fall off.
Because I swear to you — the second you choose gratitude over bitterness, something shifts. Life starts working with you instead of against you.

So What’s That Got to Do with America?

Everything.

Gratitude isn’t just a personal thing — it’s a national identity.
We live in the greatest country on earth.
Not perfect. Not pretty. But great.
And instead of blindly screaming “American Pride,” maybe the deeper truth is American Gratitude.

Gratitude for the ones who fought.
Gratitude for the ones who sacrificed.
Gratitude for the right to rebuild your life when you’ve hit rock bottom.
That’s the American Dream — not handouts, not hashtags — but the freedom to rise again.

And if that flag doesn’t mean something to you?
If you can look at it and feel nothing?
You’re not a rebel. You’re just lost.
You don’t need a protest — you need help.

Leather and Legacy

So yeah, we made that flag in leather.

Because Betsy Ross may have sewn it in cloth,
but we stitched it in hide — something with weight. With grit. With permanence.

This leather flag isn’t just wall décor. It’s a symbol. A reminder.
That you’ve got something to be grateful for, every damn day.

And if that ain’t American, I don’t know what is.

Stay grateful.
Stay dangerous.

— The Preacher
Crank & Stroker Supply Co.