Gaffe Prices embarrasses me, “Thanks for your testimonial. You have humility and love, and a healthy sense of pride. You are a role model for our communities, and our country’s future as well.”

Gaffe! I am no different than others. I am truly a simple Okie girl, a simple person like everyone else.

My medicine animal, Coyote, teaches humility. However, no person needs a medicine animal to learn of the great value of humility.

Role model, well, our family started life on a rural Oklahoma farm. We were very poor. A good work ethic clearly is a must if to escape poverty. We worked our fingers to the bone for decades and today enjoy comfortable wealth. We still work very hard. We firmly believe hard work is the key to success.

Adding to my role model, alone, I am a retired English professor and public school teacher. Presenting a good role model is very important when teaching our American children.

Pride, yes, we are very proud. We are living the American Dream because of our humility, honesty and especially our hard work. People, through hard work, earn pride. You do not need to be wealthy to be proud nor does being poor take away your pride. Personal pride is discovered and earned through simply being a good person, a hard working person. Pride comes from being a good persona and a productive member of our society.

Our hard work and success is not a new story. Our story is an old one and is the story of the many. We are no different than others, we are no better nor any less than other honest hard working people.

Thank you for your kind words. Your words are refreshing in these often hostile blogs.

Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation