AE Vol. 4 Issue 1–Preview

American Essence

JAN . – FEB. 2024

FOR EVERYONE WHO LOVES THIS COUNTRY

This Way to Happiness 8 science-backed ways to boost your mood, every day

Fearless Explorer Theodore Roosevelt’s bold Amazon expedition into the unknown

POSITIVELY JAMIE What gave entrepreneur Jamie Kern Lima the strength to withstand countless rejections on her way to building a billion-dollar company?

w e i ev r Pt d e en t t n i d Co m Lif Selecte

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Bryce Canyon National Park Garfield County and Kane County, Utah

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“Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession. That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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CONTENTS 26 | Realizing the Digital Camera

First Look 10 | Rest and Relaxation

The most luxurious spa getaways in America.

Features 12 | Showing Your Worth

Entrepreneur Jamie Kern Lima teaches us how to overcome our negative thoughts and win.

18 | Mastering a Language Without Words A sibling trio of dancers embraces an ancient form of storytelling that showcases the beauty of divinely bestowed culture.

Inventor Steve Sasson worked tirelessly to turn an idea into reality. He hopes to inspire the next generation to do the same.

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30 | Groundhog Traditions

Snapshots from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where locals and visitors alike observe customs related to the legendary forecaster.

36 | A Legacy for the Youth

Golf champion Tiger Woods’s foundation helps underprivileged youth find success through education and hard work.

40 | Providing a Sanctuary

A human trafficking survivor finds healing and hope in helping others break free.

History

44 | Teddy Roosevelt’s Amazon Expedition The former president embarked on a scientific mission that nearly cost him his life.

50 | An 18th-Century Entrepreneur With a Big Heart Sea captain, merchant, and abolitionist Captain Paul Cuffe dedicated himself to truth and service.

54 | A Winning Attitude

How Mary Kay became the most iconic businesswoman in American history.

58 | Auld Lang Syne

How a group of musicians from Canada popularized the tune we all associate with saying goodbye to the past year and ringing in the next.

62 | The Little Schoolhouse That Could The one-room schoolhouse common in the 19th century represented a community effort to educate future generations.

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Arts & Letters 68 | Victor Davis Hanson on Citizenship Can an ancient idea survive modern times?

72 | Book Recommendation

In his latest book, journalist David Von Drehle masterfully retells the life lessons he learned from his centenarian neighbor.

74 | Tiny Masterpieces

Revel in these 19th-century portraits and landscapes meticulously painted onto jewelry.

80 | My Family Roots

A reader remembers his uncle, who fought bravely in the South Pacific during World War II.

82 | Why I Love America

A reader considers how we can inspire the next generation to love this country.

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Lifestyle 86 | The Good Life

How can we lead more rewarding, more fulfilling lives? Simple steps toward increasing our happiness.

96 | The Color Factor

Pantone Color Institute executive director Leatrice Eiseman explains how different colors can have powerful effects on our moods.

100 | A Gardener’s Delight

To prepare your garden for the ultimate harvest, gather the seeds now.

106 | Preparing for the Stage

Texas Ballet Theater principal dancer Paige Nyman on her rituals for staying grounded during the busy performance season.

114 | Parting Thoughts

Top psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen, who counts celebrities among his clients, shares the ways you can strengthen your brain power.

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Editor’s Note Dear readers, Happy New Year! In this time of new beginnings and resolutions, I invite you to take a look at some of the ways that you can add happiness to your life (page 86). On this subject, we find a growing convergence among ancient philosophy, science, and—dare I say—common sense. Yet these acts of connection, as simple as dining with loved ones or petting a dog, can be remarkably healing in a world where loneliness is said to have reached epidemic proportions.

Mindset matters. For entrepreneur Jamie Kern Lima (page 12), her life’s work today revolves around helping people transcend self-doubt and realize their self-worth. Her smile and positivity, underpinned by a strong faith, are contagious.

For another dose of inspiration, read about Theodore Roosevelt’s trip down the River of Doubt in the wilds of the Amazon (page 44).

It’s the tale of a hair-raising expedition that will leave you amazed at the man’s fearlessness.

Wishing you all the best in this New Year.

Editor-In-Chief Editor@AmericanEssence.net

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American Essence FO R E V E RYO N E W H O LOV E S T H I S CO U N T RY JAN. – FEB. 2024 | VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 1

P UB L ISHE R

Dana Cheng E D ITORIAL

Editor-In-Chief Managing Editor Lifestyle Editor History Editor Arts & Letters Editors Editor-At-Large Production Manager

Channaly Philipp Annie Wu Crystal Shi Sharon Kilarski Sharon Kilarski Jennifer Schneider Tynan Beatty Astrid Wang

WEAR THE

Extraordinary

CRE ATIVE

Lead Designer Photo Editor & Designer Designer Photographer Illustrator

Marie Tatsiana Moon Sunny Lo Samira Bouaou Biba Kayewich

MARK E TIN G & SAL E S

Marketing Manager Marketing Assistant Sales Director Sales Assistant

Brett Chudá Jennifer Tseng Ellen Wang Onon Otgonbayar

CON TRIB UTORS

Sandy Lindsey, Tim Johnson, Krista Thomas, Hazel Atkins, Dustin Bass, Sally Humphries, Andrew Benson Brown, Dean George, Jeff Minick, Anita L. Sherman, Bob Kirchman, Jim Howell, Karen Brazas, Randy Tatano, Amy Denney, Andria Pressel, Ian Kane, Xenia Taliotis, Eric Lucas American Essence (USPS 24810) is published bimonthly by Bright Magazine Group at 5 Penn Plz. Fl.8, New York, NY 10001.

Periodicals postage is paid at New York, NY. Postmaster: Send address changes to American Essence, 5 Penn Plz. Fl.8, New York, NY 10001.

General Inquiries: AmericanEssence.net/help Advertisement Inquiries: ad@AmericanEssence.com Submissions: Editor@AmericanEssenceMag.com

www.AmericanEssence.com 5025 Arlington Centre Blvd., Suite 130 Columbus, Ohio 43220

614.459.8890 | www.jjandcompany.com

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SOCIAL CALENDAR

By Sandy Lindsey

★ AN EVENING WITH JOHN WILLIAMS AT CARNEGIE HALL

Horse Country

WINTER EQUESTRIAN FESTIVAL Wellington, Fla. Jan. 3–March 31 Since 1974, the equestrian world has turned its eyes to Wellington, Florida, in January.

Now a 13-week marathon of exciting competitions for top hunters, jumpers, and equitation, the festival features a diverse selection of dining options from affordable to chic, live music, shopping with an equestrian point of view, a children’s fair, Pony Island, and the Saturday Night Lights festival-within-a-festival.

WellingtonInternational.com An Italian Master

‘THE BRILLIANCE OF CARAVAGGIO: FOUR PAINTINGS IN FOCUS’ AT THE TOLEDO MUSEUM OF ART Toledo, Ohio Opens Jan. 20

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Master Carvers

INTERNATIONAL SNOW SCULPTURE CHAMPIONSHIPS Breckenridge, Colo.

Jan. 22–31 Using only hand tools, 12 carefully selected teams from around the world work virtually non-stop for five days (approx.

94 hours) to turn 12-foot high, 25-ton blocks of snow into masterpieces as downtown Breckinridge becomes a breathtaking outdoor sculpture gallery filled with picture-perfect moments. GoBreck.com Words of the Wranglers

NATIONAL COWBOY POETRY GATHERING

For the first time in a decade, four Caravaggio paintings are on view together in the United States. The paintings

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are paired with works by Italian, French, Dutch, and Spanish artists from the museum’s permanent collection to illustrate the influence of the renowned Italian artist, a master at bringing the human experience to paintings of Christian saints and genre scenes. ToledoMuseum.org

Elko, Nev. Jan. 29–Feb. 3 Real cowboys are poets,

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writing about their experiences on the range, in the rodeo ring, and around the ranch.

Music, film, visual arts, dance, cooking, Western mercantile, storytelling, rope braiding, a Youth Festival, and the Cow Kids Stampede round out this celebration of performative folk art. NationalCowboyPoetry Gathering.org Unforgettable Scores

★ AN EVENING WITH

America’s favorite gourmet gathering on the beach, this international, star-studded, four-day extravaganza showcases the talents of the world’s most renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs, and culinary personalities. It encompasses more than 70 events and spans Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. SOBEWFF.org Kick Up Your Snowshoes

JOHN WILLIAMS AT CARNEGIE HALL

ANCHORAGE FUR RENDEZVOUS

New York, N.Y. Feb. 22

Anchorage, Ala. Feb. 22–March 3

With an astonishing 25 Grammy Awards and five Oscars, John Williams is one of the most beloved film composers of all time. He welcomes long-time friend and 19-time Grammy winner Yo-Yo Ma and his inspired cello for a onenight-only benefit in support of Carnegie Hall’s artistic programs. CarnegieHall.org

The winter months were long and lonely in 1936 for Anchorage’s 3,000 residents, with no TV service and no movie theaters, so Vern Johnson and his friends decided to liven things up by creating a three-day sports festival called the Fur Rendezvous, with skiing, hockey, a kid’s sled race down Fourth Avenue, a bonfire, and a torchlight parade. It’s now a 10day celebration of life in Alaska, highlighted by a carnival, a parade, outhouse races, the World Championship Sled Dog Races, and the Running of the Reindeer. FurRondy.net

Palate Paradise

SOUTH BEACH WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL Miami, Fla. Feb. 22–25

CULTURE SHORTLIST ‘ACTS OF FAITH’ The exhibition “Acts of Faith: Religion and the American West” looks beyond the Old West stories of gunslingers and ranchers versus farmers to a time of vibrant religious and spiritual life. The NewYork Historical Society presents the 19th-century expansion westward via more than 50 objects and dozens of images and documents.

These include the traditions of “Native peoples, Protestant missionaries, Mormon settlers, Catholic communities, African American migrants, Jewish traders, and Chinese immigrant workers.”

The exhibition runs until February 25, 2024.

For information, visit NYHistory.org

‘FROM WHALER TO CLIPPER SHIP: Henry

Gillespie, Down East Captain’

Henry Gillespie was a Maine native whose parents owned and ran hotels and saloons. Gillespie chose another path when he signed aboard a whaler at age 18. Michael Jay Mjelde’s book follows Gillespie over half a century, from sailor to captain, from 1874 through 1921. It is a wonderful window into the era.

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press, 2023 Hardcover: 456 pages

‘CITIZEN SOLDIER’ Filmmakers embedded in Afghanistan documented National Guard soldiers from Oklahoma’s 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team scaling cliffs under fire and surviving IED attacks, despite receiving only 39 days of training each year.

Viewers also see the emotional impact of the loss of two heroic Guardsmen on their families and comrades.

DOCUMENTARY DIRECTORS

David Salzberg and Christian Tureaud RATING

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RUNNING TIME

1 hour, 45 minutes RELEASED

2016

STREAMING

Prime, Roku, Tubi

‘THE WORST HARD TIME: The Untold Story

of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl’

Career journalist Timothy Egan approaches this historical event—caused both by nature and humankind—as more than just a researcher and casual observer. After shedding light on why the Southern Plains became drought-stricken and hammered by catastrophic dust storms, Mr. Egan shares real stories of tenacious survivors—primarily those of farmers, ranchers, and rural-town merchants.

A tremendous read.

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THE 4 BEST SPAS IN THE U.S. Treat yourself to the epitome of luxury

By Tim Johnson

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hen the temperature drops, there’s just nothing better than the cozy embrace of a spa to warm you up. Whether wading into thermal waters or reclining for a beautiful treatment, even an hour of bliss can transport you far from the harsh challenges of winter. Here are four of the best spas in the United States—places that provide pleasure, whether you’re going to stay an hour, a couple days—or decide you never want to leave.

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1. Coastal Getaway

2. Subterranean Wonder

Astoria, Oregon

Asheville, North Carolina

There’s no escaping it: Winters in the Pacific Northwest can be dreary and rainy. But Cannery Pier, a boutique hotel in Astoria, Oregon, truly provides a welcome escape. Jutting 600 feet out into the mighty flow of the Columbia River, every room in this renovated fish-packing plant has a view over the water, with some facing the iconic Astoria-Megler Bridge. And if it’s really coming down outside? Just put on your cushy robe and head to the spa. Enjoy a soak in the mineral hot tub, a sweat in the Finnish sauna, and a signature Coastal Calm treatment that includes a Basalt river rock massage.

When the historic Omni Grove Park Inn opened its doors in 1913 in Asheville, North Carolina, on the western slopes of Sunset Mountain, it advertised walls of granite boulders, 5 feet thick. Since then, this impressive stone Arts and Crafts resort has had a rather illustrious history, serving as a temporary home for governments in exile, as well as 10 different U.S. presidents. Its 43,000-square-foot subterranean spa is a wonder.

With stone walls and archways and tunnels, you can relax in waterfall pools or swim around a lap pool built under thousands of fiber-optic stars. Dip your head below the surface and enjoy a symphony of underwater music.

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3. Pineapple Kingdom Lanai City, Hawaii From the sultry coastline, wind up the switchbacks, quickly gaining 1,800 feet in elevation, to find an enchanted resort set under soaring Cook Island pines. Lanai, a quiet island near Maui, once supplied 75 percent of the world’s pineapples. Today, it’s home to two world-class Four Seasons resorts.

Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort, high on the ridge just outside the main town, feels like a place in the clouds. Relax in one of 10 soaking tubs set among lush foliage in the Japanese-style onsen garden. Then, schedule a treatment in one of the private hale, large villas that include indoor and outdoor showers, infrared saunas, and plunge pools.

4. Mountain Retreat The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe Tahoe isn’t just for super-energetic skiers and hikers. A popular all-season destination set on the clear, blue waters of its namesake lake, snowfall turns this place into a winter wonderland. Check into the super-luxe Ritz-Carlton, set in a mountainside evergreen forest, and just relax. Recline in the eucalyptus steam room, then get the Warm Up, where hot stones are used throughout a combination massage, manicure, and pedicure. After that, there’s nothing left to do but order room service and sit by the fireplace, back in your room.

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How to Build a

STRONGER YOU Entrepreneur Jamie Kern Lima knows what it takes

to weather numerous setbacks on the path to success.

She distills the lessons she’s learned in building resilience so that you can be unstoppable

By Annie Wu

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“What are some of the things, even the hard things, that you’ve been able to make it through, and then how can you use that experience to help others make it through those same things? ” Jamie Kern Lima, entrepreneur

Jamie Kern Lima held many jobs before becoming an entrepreneur, including working as a waitress and a local news anchor.

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amie Kern Lima is a pro at rejection— getting rejected, that is. Each time an investor or potential business partner said no, it felt like proof that her dreams were not worth it. But at her lowest moment, she realized that she could choose to celebrate those rejections instead.

With her company on the brink of bankruptcy, Ms. Lima began doing research on successful entrepreneurs. “Every person I admired most, who’s built great businesses or changed the world or impacted humanity, … every single one of them has gone through so many rejections. They’re just the brave ones, willing to keep going forward anyways. And I decided to create this new definition of rejection,” she said. “I trained myself to celebrate … and go, ‘Oh, this is a reminder, I’m one of the brave ones willing to go for it. I’m not sitting on the sidelines of life, living in regret.’”

Today, she teaches others how to transcend their setbacks, drawing from her own experiences of building her cosmetics brand IT Cosmetics, which eventually got sold to L’Oreal for $1.2 billion in 2016, the French beauty behemoth’s largest acquisition at the time. Her forthcoming book to be released in February, “Worthy: How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform Your Life,” teaches concrete steps to build strong self-worth: something she believes can give people the ultimate sense of fulfillment. She wants to pass on these lessons so that people don’t miss out on valuable experiences.

“What has self-doubt already cost you in your life? And go by category: in your career, in your relationships, in your joy of simply looking in the mirror? … We are worthy of love and belonging exactly as we are—not as we achieve, not as how much of the world’s definition of success we have, but exactly as we are,” she said.

What Is Self-Worth?

She illustrates the point with an anecdote. Years ago, after her company had already become suc-

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cessful, Ms. Lima had the opportunity to meet media personality Oprah Winfrey. After having lunch with her, Oprah left her phone number and said to Ms. Lima that she could call her anytime.

But it took Ms. Lima more than four years to get the courage to reach out to Oprah.

“I would tell myself stories like, once I think of the right thing to say, then I’m going to call her, or everyone probably just wants something from her, I’m going to prove I don’t need anything.”

Then one day, she realized the real reason she hadn’t called her. “Deep down inside at my core, …

I didn’t think I was worthy of being her friend. And so I sabotaged the opportunity,” she reflected. This was the moment she began digging deeper into the topic of self-worth.

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Don’t Let Mistakes Define You Ms. Lima outlines ways to reframe one’s thinking. Many people struggle with letting their past mistakes define them. “They’ve gone through past failures and rejections, and they’ve assigned a meaning to them that is so painful, they just stay stuck.” Ms. Lima urges people to remove that emotional association and instead look at each situation rationally. “What is the meaning we told it? What is the story we told ourselves about it?

What’s actually the truth about it?” She suggests then finding a new definition to the meaning of rejection: something you must believe to be true.

For Ms. Lima, it was her belief that each rejection was just God’s way of protecting her from something that was not part of her destiny.

Self-Worth From Within Another common fallacy she’s noticed is that people draw their self-worth from external sources. Oftentimes, people then begin to set goals for themselves, only to find that they still feel unfulfilled when they achieve them.

“Whether it’s a job, or a white picket fence and a house, a partner and kids, or six-pack abs, or a certain number in your bank account, a great car,

“What I realized is when I have self-doubt, I’m actually not having self-doubt, I’m actually doubting God’s word.”

Jamie Kern Lima

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Turning Pictures Into Pixels Steve Sasson quietly worked away at his dream of creating a digitized camera long before the public realized the need for it. The visionary now looks forward to mentoring innovators of the future

By Sandy Lindsey

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igital cameras are everywhere today, and they all trace their lineage to a device about the size of a toaster that was invented in 1975 by Steve Sasson.

At the time, he was a young engineer at Kodak.

Born in 1950 in Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Sasson developed an early interest in chemistry and electronics. He taught himself how to operate a ham radio at 13. “I was interested in electronics and doing chemistry experiments, but those tended to get me in trouble because they created a lot of smoke,” he laughed. He stuck with electronics. After graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with an electrical engineering degree, Mr. Sasson was hired by Kodak in 1973. Though the company was firmly entrenched in film-based technology, they were also interested in new research and development. “Kodak was becoming involved with electrical electronic components, like exposure controls, flashes, and film advance, so they started looking for electrical engineers.” Mr. Sasson’s first job in Kodak’s research lab was to build a control system for a machine that would clean movie camera lenses. After completing the assignment, he was offered the chance to experiment with a new type of imaging device, which would become the basis for digitizing images. “You would expose a pattern of light on the surface of this device about the size of a thumbnail. It would then generate a corre-

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sponding charge pattern. Where there was a lot of light, you have a lot of electrons separated into packets—we call them pixels now.” He used numbers to represent the light pattern. “So I have a digitized version of the image on the device. If I could store that permanently, I would be duplicating what a camera does. That was the idea of the digital camera.”

He was inspired by the futuristic possibilities that were shown on the hit TV show “Star Trek.” “There was no paper or film on the bridge of the Enterprise, there was just electronic communication. That represented the vision of the future and inspired my goal to develop a filmless camera that would take and display an image.”

Realizing a Dream Using a lens from a movie camera, a cassette tape to record images, and other components from the research lab’s used parts bin, he built a working digital camera. At a Kodak meeting, he presented his new device. He took photos of the room, and in less than a minute, the images showed up on a television set. “They’d never seen anything like that before. But there was also a lot of caution about it, because they clearly got it that this would undermine the entire business model of the company,” which was a leader in producing film. Mr. Sasson recalled the Kodak executives asking him, “What problem are you trying to solve? What’s wrong with photography as we know it? Why would anybody want

“Sometimes, that’s more important than knowing how to do something; it’s knowing what to do.”

Steve Sasson, engineer & inventor of the digital camera

Steve Sasson with his prototype of the first portable digital camera, 1975.

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1981

Sony demonstrates a prototype of the MAVICA, the first commercial electronic camera. This model was not a digital camera but a video camera that took freeze-frames, which could then be displayed on a television screen.

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1994

Casio unveils the QV-10, the world’s first digital camera with an LCD screen that allows a user to record and review an image right away.

to take pictures this way? Why would they want to look at it on TV?” Undaunted, Mr. Sasson continued his efforts.

At the end of the 1980s, he developed a camera with his colleague that took megapixel images and put them onto memory cards; it looked similar to a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera today. “We showed it to the professional marketing arm of Kodak. They just said, ‘No, we make all our money off of film, so why would we sell this thing?’”

Nonetheless, the world was changing. The personal computer had been invented, and the internet had been developed. People increasingly prioritized convenience—being able to store and share images quickly—over photo quality.

Mr. Sasson recognized this shift and kept going despite not knowing exactly how. “Sometimes, that’s more important than knowing how to do something; it’s knowing what to do.” That conviction led him eventually to succeed.

The ubiquity of his invention did not quite dawn on him until he went on a trip with his family to Yellowstone National Park in 1998.

“We were waiting for Old Faithful to erupt,” he recalled. “I looked around and saw people with digital cameras. … I watched how the world was actually doing what I dreamed about so many years earlier.” Mr. Sasson is humble about his achievement. “I feel lucky to have been in the position to make a small contribution toward that happening. That was a whole new industry made by thousands of technical people, not just at Kodak … [but] around the world as well.”

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Inspiring Inventors of the Future Mr. Sasson retired from Kodak in 2009. He was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation at the White House in 2009. In 2011, Mr. Sasson was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Through the organiza-

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A charge-coupled device (CCD) integrated circuit, which converts photons into electrons. It is central to digital camera technology.

tion’s Camp Invention program, he and other inductees encourage young children to explore innovative ideas. He is also a regular judge at the organization’s annual Collegiate Inventors Competition. These events allow Mr. Sasson to provide young people with advice on how to overcome failure. “Sometimes being wrong is a lot more valuable than being right, because you learn a lot more,” he would tell them, encouraging them to think of different angles while problem-solving, much like he did while developing digital photography.

He finds it most rewarding to have helped young people on their journeys. One inventor Mr. Sasson mentored, Charu Thomas, who has since launched a successful company called Ox that utilizes virtual reality technology to streamline warehouse operations, recently sent him a note thanking him for motivating her to apply for a patent for her invention. In 2020, she made Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30” list. “More than any awards that you get, it’s the fact that you did something that enabled someone to do it—it is so rewarding to me,” he said. He urged all young inventors, don’t be afraid to think differently. • Annie Wu contributed reporting.

Sharp manufactures the world’s first cellular-enabled camera phone, the J-SH04. It is introduced to the Japanese market and sells out within two weeks.

2007

Apple introduces the iPhone with a 2-megapixel resolution rear camera. The tech company’s innovative design forever changes the smartphone industry.

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Where Groundhog Day Lives On In the small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where the prognosticating groundhog dwells, peculiar and endearing traditions have endured

By Channaly Philipp Photographed By Samira Bouaou

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ere we are in the little town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to learn about the groundhog who enthralls the nation once a year.

The famed rodent is protected and cared for by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle, a friendly retinue of 15 local gentlemen in top hats with nicknames such as “Iceman” and “Moonshine.”

Even though the rodent is the star of Groundhog Day, which takes place annually every February 2, when he predicts either an early spring or six more weeks of winter, the men who surround him are no less interesting.

One fine morning, we met with Tom Dunkel, aka “Shingle Shaker,” the president of this hallowed group. He runs a roofing business, but today he is formally dressed, wearing the top hat and long coat characteristic of the Inner Circle members.

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Tom Dunkel, as president of the Inner Circle club, cares for the famous groundhog who can predict when winter will end.

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1 1. It runs in the family:

Mr. Dunkel’s father was also president of the Inner Circle, and he grew up with the groundhog showing up around the house.

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2, 3. Details of Mr. Dunkel’s outfit. The walking stick gives Mr. Dunkel the power to speak Groundhogese.

4. Phil is purportedly

given an elixir that allows him to live seven extra years every time he takes a sip.

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He has a cheerful air about him and is prone to spontaneous bursts of laughter—not unlike a kindly Santa Claus. He is clean-shaven when we meet him, but around Thanksgiving he starts growing a beard in anticipation of Groundhog Day: “It does add a certain gravitas. It’s all gray, and it makes me look way more wise than I am,” he mused.

He says he is a simple guy. His father was the groundhog’s handler and also president of the Inner Circle for about 15 years, so Mr. Dunkel was used to having Phil around his house.

“I’ve lived in the same house my whole life, I’ve had the same job my whole life, and it’s just been a simple life. I love it. It’s a great community to 22

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live in. People are so nice. It’s easy here,” he said.

He may be a simple guy, but he’s got some phenomenal superpowers and magic objects at his disposal.

“I have a cane that lets me talk with Phil,” he said. As it turns out, only the Inner Circle’s president is granted the power to converse in “Groundhogese.”

Phil’s longevity is the stuff of legends. Mr. Dunkel maintains that it is the same Phil who has been delivering predictions since the 19th century.

Every summer, the Inner Circle organizes a summer picnic, where the special event is giving Phil the “Elixir of Life.”

“Every sip he takes gives him seven years of longevity,” Mr. Dunkel said. “That’s why there’s only been one Phil. This will be his 138th year on Groundhog Day.” He is careful to say that the elixir does not work on humans. In fact, it has the opposite effect.

“They use me as an example of how humans can’t drink it because I’m only 18 years old,” said the gray-haired Mr. Dunkel.

The Groundhog Day Phenomenon When Mr. Dunkel was a young boy about 8 or 9, there was a small field where Phil would give his yearly prognostication. There would be about 50 to 100 people in attendance.

As time went on, with a larger field and an amphitheater, TV news started covering the event.

And the year after the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day” was released, 30,000 people came.

These days, there are between 20,000 and 40,000 who attend—in a little town of 6,000 people.

“Everybody that comes to Groundhog Day is like someone who would climb Mount Everest

because it’s not easy,” Mr. Dunkel said. “It’s dark.

It’s literally in the middle of the night; people get here at 3 a.m. It could be 3 degrees, could be 30 degrees, but it’s cold.”

The energy on that night is palpable. Some arrive via school buses plied into service by the town, a few lucky hundred snag parking passes, and others walk through the fields, taking shortcuts specially created for the event.

Groundhog Day is a bucket-list item for many.

“Everybody is excited to be there. It’s magical,” Mr. Dunkel said. “Somebody will come and experience Groundhog Day, and when they go home, they tell their friends and their family, and then the next year there’s 10 of them.”

There are the regulars who have attended Groundhog Day 15 to 20 times. There are those whose birthday falls on February 2 (Mr. Dunkel estimates there are a couple thousand of such people every year). And then there are always several couples who get married that day.

At 7:25 am, sunrise time, the show begins. Mr. Dunkel and the Inner Circle welcome the crowd.

Mr. Dunkel taps on a little door three times, and

At the 2023 Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney, Pa., Phil the groundhog predicted a late spring.

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Theodore Roosevelt in his library at Oyster Bay, N.Y., circa 1912.

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Theodore Roosevelt’s Deadliest Challenge After his presidential terms, Teddy Roosevelt embarked on an Amazon expedition that led to the discovery of a new river —and nearly killed him

By Dustin Bass

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heodore Roosevelt loved a challenge, both politically and naturally. Only days after completing his second term in office as president, he, along with his son, Kermit, and seven naturalists, embarked on the Smithsonian–Roosevelt African Expedition.

Though he promised not to run for a third term, he disapproved of the country’s direction under the Taft administration, and he ran again in 1912 under his own ticket. It was one of the few times he had met a challenge head on and failed.

Reeling from defeat, he accepted an invitation to South America to conduct a series of lectures.

John Augustine Zahm, a priest and Roosevelt supporter, proposed adjoining the lecture series with an expedition through the Amazon. Zahm’s plan for the Roosevelt South American Scientific Expedition was to study and report on the rainforest’s ecosystem by canoeing the five most known rivers of the Amazon. Roosevelt heartily accepted.

Change of Plans Before the expedition began, Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lauro Muller, suggested that Roosevelt “go down an unknown river.” The suggestion would not only alter the course of the expedition, but history itself.

A map of central Brazil and the Roosevelt River (formerly called River of Doubt).

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A portrait of Brazilian explorer Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, circa 1910.

A portrait of Kermit Roosevelt, between 1905– 1945.

When Col. Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Brazil’s most accomplished explorer, was assigned to the expedition, he made it clear that he was not interested in being a tour guide.

Roosevelt made it clear that he was not interested in floating the Amazon’s safest rivers. Almost immediately upon their meeting, the expedition was renamed the Roosevelt–Rondon Scientific Expedition.

Their new destination was Rio da Duvida— the River of Doubt. Rondon had discovered the mouth of the river years before, but even to him, the river was unknown.

Henry Fairfield Osborn, president of the American Museum of Natural History, pleaded for George Cherrie, the attending naturalist, to convince Roosevelt to reconsider and pursue Zahm’s original plan. Roosevelt’s response was nothing if not assertive: “I have already lived and enjoyed as much of life as any nine other men I know; I have had my full share, and if it is necessary for me to leave my bones in South America, I am quite ready to do so.”

Reaching Duvida Officially, the expedition began in December 1913, but the explorers, most of whom were “camaradas” (Brazilian porters), began their march on January 19, 1914, through the Amazon Highlands. Perceiving the harsh demands of the expedition, Roosevelt sent Zahm and a handful of others away to explore those safer tributaries.

After three weeks in the Highlands, the expedition reached the Juruena River, a tributary of the Amazon. By now most of their pack animals were dead. Those that remained could hardly muster RIGHT

Roosevelt points at a map of the area explored during the Roosevelt– Rondon Scientific Expedition in Brazil, between 1913–1919.

FAR RIGHT

Kermit Roosevelt’s photograph of a river along the Roosevelt– Rondon Scientific Expedition, 1913.

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enough strength to carry their own weight.

Additionally, the expedition was already low on provisions.

The 22 men followed the Juruena for several days before reaching the Madeira, the main tributary of the Amazon River which connected to the River of Doubt. After a long slog along the Madeira to the unknown tributary, they concluded that the rest of the journey would have to be conducted by boat. The only problem was they didn’t have one.

The expedition purchased seven dugout canoes from the Nhambiquara, one of the continent’s most primitive tribes. These canoes, half of which were hardly worth using, were built from tree trunks and weighed up to 2,500 pounds. They would be difficult to navigate on the river, and excruciatingly heavy to portage.

On February 27, the men embarked into the unknown.

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The Dangers of the Amazon There was a constant and understandable nervous tension among the members of the expedition. The rainforest was so thick and the water so dark that it was impossible to see where dangers lurked.

Despite the dangers, Rondon required precise surveyance of the river. The expedition stopped 114 times to conduct its survey. They covered only 6 miles the first day—a rate that would deplete their provisions long before concluding the expedition.

Kermit volunteered to hold the sighting rod, which required returning to land and cutting through the vegetation. The assignment consis-

tently exposed him to dangers in the water, like piranhas and caimans, and on land, like jaguars, wild hogs, and snakes. Roosevelt had already been bitten by a coral snake, saved only by the thickness of his leather boots.

For some, however, it was the silence that made the trek most unnerving, especially at night in their makeshift camps. “Let there be the least break in the harmony of sound and instantly there succeeds a deathlike silence, while all living things wait in dread for the inevitable shriek that follows the night prowler’s stealthy spring,” Cherrie wrote. “Strange things have happened in the night.”

Rondon informed the Americans that “the real dangers of the wilderness” were the “insects, and the fevers they cause, and dysentery and starvation and wearing hardship and accidents in rapids.”

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Reaching the Rapids In early March, the expedition experienced its first set of rapids. The men decided to portage around the rapids. So heavy were the dugouts and unforgiving the terrain that it took three days to cover half a mile. A practically suicidal pace.

When the party attempted to canoe through the rapids, two canoes sank. The camaradas dove in to save them, and one camarada nearly died after being swept downriver. The group resolved to portage. The expedition covered an abysmal 75 miles in 12 days.

On the morning of March 11, the men woke to disaster. A heavy downpour had sunk two canoes, ripped them down the river, and shattered them among the rocks.

Rondon ordered his men to secure another canoe. It was a multi-day process to find and cut down a worthy tree, and then form it into a canoe. The camaradas completed the 26-foot canoe in four days. Roosevelt was amazed at the men’s strength and work ethic, praising them in his journal. Julio de Lima, however, proved an “utterly worthless” camarada. Rondon bemoaned not being able “to rid ourselves of his presence.”

Lima would soon make his presence felt with deadly effect.

Portage or Float After taking stock of their provisions, Roosevelt wrote, “We felt it necessary to risk running the rapids.” The first day back on the river was successful, passing six sets of rapids, and miles of river. The following day the risk would result in tragedy.

As they approached a waterfall, Rondon ordered the canoes to the right side of the river and for everyone to remain until he returned from scouting ahead. When Rondon left, Kermit ordered his two companions, João and Simplicio, to paddle to the other side to see if it was passable.

The wide river was split by a small island. As the three reached the other side, it proved impassable. Attempting to return, they were pulled in by a whirlpool, then thrust into the middle of the river. With the canoe taking water, João leapt out and tried to pull the canoe to safety by its hawser.

The strength of the river flipped the canoe and ripped the hawser from his hands, as Kermit, Simplicio, and the canoe flowed helplessly over the waterfall.

The canoe was “crushed to splinters.” Kermit Roosevelt sits in a dugout canoe, photographed by Kermit Roosevelt, 1913.

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Mary Kay and Her Pink Cadillac How the Mary Kay Inc. founder was motivated to grow her business, not by profit, but by lifting up the spirits of her employees

By Andrew Benson Brown

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“My girls didn’t like me having a Cadillac,” said Beverly Fox, a former independent sales director for Mary Kay Inc. “It was too big; they were embarrassed.” Although her children may not have fully appreciated the luxury they were basking in, Fox—now 83—has fond memories of working at the cosmetics company during the late 1970s. Her greatest source of pride was not, as it turns out, owning a coveted Pink Cadillac. It was meeting Mary Kay Ash. “She would invite all the consultants to her home,” Fox remembered. “That was back when the company was still small enough to do that.”

Fox recalled, in particular, the sunken marble bathtub that she and her coworkers would sit in

to have their pictures taken.

Even 50 years later, Kay remains a source of inspiration for Fox. “She was a wonderful lady with very good morals, good principles. She always lifted you up.” Fox’s sentiments have been echoed by thousands of other women over the decades, grateful for the chance to participate in the American Dream.

Mary Kay Ash, founder of the cosmetics brand Mary Kay, was known for starting an incentive program whereby she would gift her company’s top five saleswomen with Pink Cadillacs.

Offering Opportunities Mary Kay Ash is, perhaps, the most iconic businesswoman in American history. But her humble origins showed little indication of the success she would become. Born Mary Kathlyn Wagner in 1918, she had to take on responsibility at a

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young age. While her mother worked 14 hours a day, 7-year-old Mary was taking care of her invalid father, making dinner, and riding street cars alone to go shopping. Though these early years were hard, Kay’s mother would fill her with confidence by always telling her, “You can do it!”

Kay would later pass on this winning attitude to her beauty consultants. In her mid-40s, after a 25-year career as a saleswoman, she decided to go into business selling her own skin-care products. Then, a month before she planned to launch the company, her husband George suffered a fatal heart attack. With support from her sons—including one who donated his entire life savings—Kay persevered against the advice of both her attorney and accountant, both of whom warned that she would soon be ruined.

In 1963, she opened “Beauty by Mary Kay.” She worked out of a small Dallas storefront with nine consultants. Her main business goal was not initially monetary, but moral. As she says in her autobiography, “Miracles Happen: The Life and Timeless Principles of the Founder of Mary Kay Inc.,” she wanted “to give women the opportunity to do anything they were smart enough to do.” As the company expanded, she experimented with motivating her salespeople by dangling carrots. One early idea was awarding top sellers with gold-plated goblets. Then, in 1969, she hit upon the Big Carrot—an idea that has since become world-famous.

Sharing the Wealth Pink Cadillacs were not always associated with Mary Kay. When she ordered her first one in 1967, Elvis already owned three—including the Fleetwood Series 60, painted a bright shade now known as “Elvis Rose.” But Kay’s would be unique: She told the General Motors dealership

Ms. Kay Ash grew up shouldering a lot of responsibilities in the household— which translated to an incredible grit that served her well as an entrepreneur.

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to make the pink paint job on her Coupe de Ville match the light coral tone of the “Mountain Laurel” makeup she was carrying with her.

Kay was not one to live large while her employees toiled away at thankless jobs, barely able to make ends meet. She believed that when the workers are successful, that reflects on the manager. To this purpose, she established the Career Car Program in 1969, awarding her five top saleswomen with Coupe de Villes.

Kay herself spent years as a salesperson; she knew how difficult it could be and always let her own salespeople know how much she appreciated their hard work. When office workers asked why they were ineligible to earn Cadillacs, she encouraged them to understand that they only had jobs because the product was selling and to always treat the beauty consultants like royalty.

Since launching the Career Car Program over 50 years ago, approximately 170,000 dedicated salespeople have qualified to use a VIP automobile. Though this seems like a large number, according to the Mary Kay website only 1 percent of independent beauty consultants achieve this incentive after being promoted to sales director.

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Pursuing Excellence One of Kay’s other business principles is “pride contributes to morale.” The Pink Cadillac has been called a trophy on wheels, and for good reason—for Kay and her sales force, it is a symbol of excellence. Kay believed that the car inspired pride. “You’ll rarely see one dented or even dirty,” she wrote in her business book, “Mary Kay on People Management.”

Last year marked the 60th anniversary of Mary Kay Inc.’s founding. Now a Fortune 500 Company, there are millions of independent beauty consultants in almost 40 countries—a far cry from the original nine working out of a 500-square-foot storefront.

The Coupe de Ville is no longer in production.

Qualifying salespeople today, however, have a fleet of different cars to choose from, including an Escalade, as well as various Chevrolet models. However, there are more than 1,000 Pink Cadillacs in active service, all testifying to the passion and perseverance Kay helped inspire in others. •

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Ms. Kay Ash in her pink Cadillac with her dog Gigi, at her home in Dallas, Texas.

Rules of Success

F R O M “ P E A R L S O F W I S D O M W I T H M A RY K AY A S H ”

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A FEELING OF BEING LUCKY

“Feel lucky—you are!”

BELIEVE IN GOD

“You have to have a belief in God, you’ve got to plug into that source of power that never fails.”

ENTHUSIASM

BE A DREAMER

“It’s been said that if you can

dream it, you can do it. … Before your dream can become a reality, you’ve got to see it in your mind.”

DO IT NOW

“You have got to have a sense of urgency. … Do it today, don’t put it off until tomorrow.”

ATTITUDE

“Somebody said act enthusiastic and you will become enthusiastic, and it’s true!”

“Be a risk taker. Remember that nothing is ever going to go just exactly right—that’s life. Don’t be afraid to fail, remember we fail forward to success.”

HIGH SELF ESTEEM

HARD WORK

“We’re all different—each of us are one of a kind. God planted the seeds of greatness in every single person and they’re there, all you have to do is reach down within yourself and bring those beautiful seeds into fruition.”

“I don’t know anybody who ever succeeded magnificently who did it working 8–5. If you read the success stories of all the successful business people, you will find they … work until they achieve whatever it is they want.”

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?

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

By Andrew Benson Brown

of w o kn u o do y

s ’ a ic ers? r e Amventur ad

at Wh

True or False

Fill-in-the-Blank

1. It took expert climber Warren Harding 47 days to ascend “The Nose” of Yosemite’s El Capitan.

2. In Francis Parkman’s classic travelogue, “The Oregon Trail,” the author never reaches Oregon.

3. The painters of the Hudson River School often based their idealized landscapes of the American wilderness on sketches brought back by more experienced explorers.

4. Amelia Earhart completed more than three-fourths of her famous flight around the world before disappearing over the Atlantic Ocean.

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5. In “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” lyricist Thomas Blackburn famously refers to the song’s subject as “King of the _____ _________.”

6. Inspired by a belief in _________ Destiny, upwards of half a million pioneers traveled west to settle the American continent during the 19th century.

Multiple Choice 8. Sacagawea has four mountains named after her.

Which of the following states does NOT contain a “Sacajawea Peak”?

A. Oregon B. Montana C. Washington D. Idaho 9. The 2015 film “The Revenant,” about a man left for dead after a bear attack, was inspired by the real-life survival story of which famous fur trapper?

A. Jim Bridger B. Hugh Glass C. Kit Carson D. Jedediah Smith 10. Adventurer John Muir was involved in establishing which National Parks?

A. Yosemite, Sequoia, Grand Canyon, Mount Rainier B. Yosemite, Yellowstone, Sequoia, Grand Canyon C. Yosemite, Sequoia, Crater Lake, Mount Rainier D. Yosemite, Yellowstone, Crater Lake, Mount Rainier

7. While helping the escaped slave Jim get to freedom in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” the title character claims, “It’s lovely to live on a _____.”

See answers on page 113

ARTS & LETTERS SHAPING OUR MINDS AND HEARTS

An illustration of a 19th-century fountain and gate by Matthew Digby Wyatt.

The Role of the Citizen

Miniature Worlds

A conversation with historian Victor Davis Hanson on what it means to be a citizen amid today’s globalization.

Meet the artists who created intricate works of art on a small canvas: jewelry.

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Authors

Is Citizenship a Thing of the Past?

Historian Victor Davis Hanson explains the meaning of citizenship, from ancient times to today’s globalized society

By Dustin Bass

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he world has grown closer through a globalized economy.

Nations rely on each other for their goods and even services, and some more than others. Borders between nations have become easier and safer to cross, especially in regions where countries are allied, such as the European Union. Alliances, like NATO, and agreements, such as NAFTA, have encouraged a sense of global unity. Seventy-five years ago, the United Nations published its Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a quasi-Bill of Rights to be adhered to by all nations a list of rights that has increased as time progresses and social norms change.

Despite the growing global population, the world seems to have shrunk, and the idea of individualism for both nations and persons seems to be dissipating. Therefore, what does it mean anymore to be a citizen? Is the idea of citizenship nearing extinction?

Victor Davis Hanson, classicist, historian, and best-selling author, has long pondered the demise of the modern citizen and has specifically addressed the demise of the American citizen in his latest work, “The Dying Citizen: How Progressive Elites, Tribalism, and Globalization Are Destroying the Idea of America.”

American Essence: Where did the idea of citizenship originate, and what encompassed that early understanding of what it meant to be a citizen?

An etching of Plato’s symposium by Pietro Testa, 1648. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Victor Davis Hanson: Citizenship originated in the 7th century B.C. among Greek city-states, originally as a means to protect the property (i.e., farms) of an emerging middle agrarian class. The citizenship bargain gave adult free males, as the heads of a household, the right to select their own leaders and to enjoy some rights of free expression, in exchange for serving in the hoplite phalanx [soldiers in a strategic formation], participating in civic functions, voting, and obeying the laws as established by the assembly of their peers.

AE: Socrates is quoted as saying, “I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.” Do you see that vision of cosmopolitanism taking shape today, and what are the pitfalls of revoking a national identity and, if there are any, the benefits of adopting a cosmopolitan identity?

Mr. Hanson: Socrates is reportedly embracing cosmopolitanism as a contrarian, heterodox point of view, given city-state orthodoxy was to place one’s first loyalty to his polis and its surrounding territory, his second to Hellenism, as defined by a shared language, religion, and place, and his third only to the Enlightenment idea of a common humanity—hard to reify when a huge neighboring Persian Empire sought to destroy a free Greece.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON The American classicist and historian is also a media commentator on contemporary politics.

ABOUT THE BOOK

‘THE DYING CITIZEN’ Hanson traces the historical forces that have conspired to eradicate our once-cherished concept of citizenship.

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AE: In regard to the history of citizenship, would you say that Rome and London had the most influence on America’s perception of citizenship? If so, what benefits and responsibilities of citizenship did we adopt from them?

Mr. Hanson: Rome expanded the idea of Greek citizenship beyond the notion of blood and soil, or the idea [that] one could, in the late republic and early empire, become “Roman” without being Italian.

The British gave us the added idea of an evolving citizenship, known but not practiced widely by the Greeks and Romans—that is, the concept of expanding citizenship beyond a property-owning class, beyond males, and beyond people’s superficial appearance—in a sometimes-controversial quest for ever greater freedom and equality.

“Socrates” etched by Paulus Pontius after Peter Paul Rubens, 1638.

AE: With the influx of illegal immigration, are we witnessing the degradation of American citizenship? And if politicians pass legislation to give noncitizens the power to decide America’s political landscape, how will that affect the purpose of American citizenship?

Mr. Hanson: Citizenship hinges on common and shared values, commitments, histories, customs, traditions, and the reassurance of a common secure homeland. Illegal immigration—especially en masse, non-diverse, and non-meritocratic—makes all those classical requirements impossible, especially when 8 million in just two years violate the law to enter the United States and cannot possibly rapidly and effectively be assimilated and integrated into the body politic.

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“Citizenship hinges on common and shared values, commitments, histories, customs, traditions, and the reassurance of a common secure homeland.”

Victor Davis Hanson AE: If you sat down with a young American who demurred about the idea of citizenship, what would you say to try to convince him or her of the importance and necessity of being a citizen?

Mr. Hanson: I would ask a student what is the alternative to Western consensual government and citizenship? Life in theocratic Iran, chaotic Syria or Gaza, authoritarian China, tyrannical Russia, dysfunctional Venezuela, communist Cuba, nightmarish North Korea?

And why is immigration always a one-way phenomenon: one from anti-Western, non-democratic, failed states without citizenship to secure, prosperous, and free Western nations? Second, why are naturally rich nations like Mexico or Nigeria failed states, and naturally poor countries like Japan or Switzerland successful nations? The answer is that they embrace Western or Westernized notions of a free citizenry and consensual government that lead to greater security, freedom, prosperity, and confidence in a nation. •

Weʼd Like to Hear From You What did you think about this interview? What other authors would you like to hear from? Send us your feedback at Editor@AmericanEssenceMag.com

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An engraved illustration of Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s painting depicting a scene in ancient Rome, “An Audience at Agrippa’s.”

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My Family Roots

The Ultimate Sacrifice A reader pays tribute to his uncle, a fighter pilot who gave his life for this country during World War II

By Jim Howell

irsthand accounts of overcoming adversity have always stirred something in me. Many years ago, I read Tom Brokaw’s then-newly published book “The Greatest Generation.”

It’s a collection of very moving stories of those who faced the challenges and ravages of the Second World War. These were people who also grew up in this country during the Great Depression. To say they faced and overcame adversity—well, it kind of defines understatement.

Both of my parents, who had married in 1940 in the middle of these two events, died around the same time Brokaw’s book was released. Among the things left to me by my folks was a small box filled with fading photographs, old newspaper clippings, and a batch of yellowing letters still in their envelopes. To my everlasting surprise, they revealed a story to rival any I discovered in Brokaw’s book and helped me understand a missing chapter of my own family’s story.

At first, I was stunned by the number of letters my mom’s only brother, my uncle Jim, wrote from September 1941 to February 1943—over 100, one every few days. As I read them, I realized that letters were often the only source of communication during the war. To ease the tension of harsh, demanding

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circumstances and to keep in touch with those they loved and left behind, the soldiers wrote letters—lots of them. It is highly unlikely we will ever again see that volume of handwritten letters composed over such a brief time span.

From his initial letters written in mid-1941 following his final year of college through the last one he wrote, I got to know my uncle in his own very personal words. He told me how he was so scared of “washing out” during his pilot training. His humility (he wrote his parents that he simply “did my part”) made me bow my head. Never was there any mention in any of his letters of the fact that he downed five enemy aircraft during the Battle of Midway. I had to read a newspaper clipping to learn that one. He made me laugh by describing how he feared the poisonous snakes on the island where he was stationed in New Guinea more than the enemy he was flying against. His dogged determination to battle the wearing fatigue of flying mission after mission came through in his writing. His longing to once again smell the sweet autumn air of his home in Ohio or of his love for his fiancé—it all helped me feel what he, and by extension, all the men and women who lived through this era, were facing.

Jim was one of only 13 aircrew killed during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, a three-day battle fought over the Southwest Pacific in March of 1943. Nearly 3,000 enemy combatants perished in the three-day fight.

Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa, the commander of the Japanese Eighth Fleet at Rabaul, stated after the battle, “It is certain that the success obtained by the American air force in this battle dealt a fatal blow to the South Pacific.”

My folks rarely spoke of Jim or of their own experiences during the Depression or, subsequently, the war. So, I never knew much of my uncle’s short life. But through his own writings and, following his death, some 25 other letters sent to my grandparents by his friends and crew members, I learned. The first one I read was from his bombardier, a man who had eventually parachuted out of an ill-fated flight barely a month after he wrote the letter, was captured by the enemy, spent the next two years in a prison camp surviving torture and starvation, and returned home at the end of the

conflict. After reading it, I wept.

We were in lots of tight places together, but he always brought us through; I would have trusted him any place in the world. The day the Zeros hit us, we were leading a bombing formation over a Jap convoy. We were on the bombing run and had not released any bombs. The Zero came in from the left front and raked our whole plane. Jim was hit hard and never knew what hit him. He lived until after we landed but never gained consciousness. I held him in my arms all the way home; he fought so hard to live, but God was calling him home and very soon after we landed, he answered the call.

—Lt. Jack Wisener Of my uncle’s nine-man B-17 bomber crew, only five outlived the war and returned.

Tough odds to beat. But I believe Brokaw got it right. These people, who faced such harrowing hardships and did so with courage, humility, and even humor, set a standard for generations to come. •

Is there a family member who has positively impacted your life? American Essence invites you to share about your family roots and the lessons passed down from generation to generation. We welcome you to send your submission to: Editor@AmericanEssenceMag.com

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Why I Love America

The Next Generation of Patriots A reader reflects on what the American flag means to her, and how she can pass on her love of America to her granddaughter

By Karen Brazas

’m not sure why I react as I do, but when I hear our national anthem and see our Stars and Stripes raised high, I tear up. I always have; I always will.

I think of moments in the past when our flag has particularly moved me. 9/11—the first responders raising a tattered flag over the smoking remains of the Twin Towers, a flag symbolizing “United We Stand.” Or the photo of a sweet little girl poised atop her daddy’s shoulders, looking to the heavens, clutching a tiny flag in her hand. I have seen too many flag-draped caskets cradling the remains of our brave soldiers and first responders who gave their precious lives for our country. And the entire landscape at Arlington National Cemetery is draped with the red, white, and blue of our heroes who fought to protect the sovereignty of our land.

But I add to these the happy times and happy tears.

As retirees in 2000, my husband and I were hired as staff members on a Semester at Sea study-abroad program. We joined 700 college students on a four-month voyage around the world on a beautiful ship, the MV

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Explorer. As we set sail out of Coal Harbor in Vancouver, families and friends waved our beautiful flag from the shore in Stanley Park, bidding us farewell. I thought four months would pass before we would see Old Glory again. But I was mistaken. American flags greeted us in our first port, Kobe, Japan, as Japanese beauties waved them in welcome.

And, reminding us of our influence abroad, our flags graced the entrances of the U.S. embassies we passed by during our sojourn in 13 countries. Then, months later in Havana, Cuba, our final port, I was once again moved to patriotic tears.

Thinking that a sporting event might encourage camaraderie and serve as an icebreaker between our students and theirs, Semester at Sea staff and the athletic director at the University of Havana organized a basketball game pitting our students against the university’s varsity team. When we entered the gymnasium, we found our opponent’s team in full uniform, standing in solemn attention. Suddenly, a Cuban student marched in, proudly waving our Stars and Stripes, our national anthem resounding throughout the stadium. Everyone, Cubans

and Americans together, stood in quiet respect. Here I am, in the heart of communist Cuba, moved to tears by our flag and the glorious music of our country.

Years pass, and we have built a beach house adjacent to a naval base in California.

Every morning at 8 a.m., our national anthem resounds over their loudspeakers.

Our little granddaughter Mia visits often, and we open the patio door and call her over.

Since my husband, her “Papa,” is the quintessential flag waver, we tell her that “Papa’s song” is playing, and “when we hear it, we put our hands on our hearts, we stand still, and we listen.” She follows our lead, placing her hand on her chest, standing at attention.

When the anthem ends, we all clap and cheer.

Years later, on a shopping trip to our local Costco Warehouse, Mia is seated in the cart, holding the bouquet of white roses we’ve selected. We pass a display of speakers emitting a patriotic tune. It’s not our national anthem, but for her, it’s close enough. She calls out to me. “Nai Nai! Stop!” Transferring the roses to her left hand, she places her right hand on her chest. “Nai Nai! Hand!” she

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exclaims. “Papa’s song!” So there we stand, in the middle of a crowded aisle, hands over our hearts, as our little girl attempts to sing along to a random song with the few words of her “Papa’s song” that she remembers.

No—it wasn’t quite the same as stealth bombers flying over the Super Bowl following the playing of our national anthem. It wasn’t quite the moment in the gymnasium in Havana, Cuba. It wasn’t quite the moment of seeing Old Glory hoisted up the flagpole and hearing our country’s anthem blasting on the MV Explorer as we pulled into the Port of New Orleans that December of 2000 after our four-month voyage around the world. But it was a precious moment—one not without a tear.

Now that she’s older, my sweet Mia is beginning to understand the real meaning of “Papa’s song.” As American author Henry James said, “I think patriotism is like charity.

It begins at home.” I’m confident that throughout her life, whenever Mia sings “the land of the free and the home of the brave,” she will reflect on when, how, and why she learned to stand at attention to honor our flag and our country. •

Why do you love America? What makes it worth celebrating? What moves you about the people and places that make up our country? Tell us in a personal essay of about 600 to 800 words. We welcome you to send your submission to: Editor@AmericanEssenceMag.com

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The

Pursuit of

Happiness Experts share simple steps on the path to satisfaction in life

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E ALL HAVE THE POWER TO BE HAPPIER, regardless of our individual circumstances or the stage of life we’re in, starting now.

That’s the key takeaway from the growing body of research on the subject—one studied by ancient philosophers to today’s scientists. It starts with making small changes in behavior and mindset that, with practice and consistency, build up to powerful results over time. Here are eight science-backed ways anyone can boost his or her mood and promote long-term satisfaction.

1. Invest time and energy in your relationships.

By Crystal Shi

T

he world’s longest-running study on happiness, the Harvard Study of Adult Development, has followed the same group of 724 men—and now more than 1,300 of their descendants over three generations—for 85 years and counting, taking health measurements and asking detailed questions about their lives at regular intervals.

According to its findings, the number one key to happiness is good relationships.

“If you’re going to make that one choice, that single decision that could best ensure your own health and happiness, science tells us that your choice should be to cultivate warm relationships,” write Dr. Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz, the current director and associate director of the study, in their book “The Good Life: Lessons From the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.”

The authors emphasize the importance of practicing “social fitness,” regularly assessing the health of our relationships and taking care of them over time. “Our social life is a living system. And it needs exercise,” they write.

Start by taking stock of your current close relationships: Think about how each relationship makes you feel, how often you connect, and the kinds of support they give you (or don’t). Identify which relationships you’d like to improve. Then get to work. Here are a few tips from “The Good Life” to help.

Make time: “Think for a moment about a relationship you have with a person you cherish but feel like you don’t see nearly enough,” the authors write. “Now think about how often you see that

person. Every day? Once a month? Once a year?”

Make the intentional effort to spend more time on important connections. See if you can dedicate certain days of the week or month to certain people, or change your daily schedule to fit in a coffee or walk with a loved one. It can start small: Take a moment to reach out with a text, email, or phone call to reconnect.

Be curious: Make it a point to engage your curiosity in your next conversation, whether you’re talking with an important person in your life or chatting up a complete stranger (the latter has been proven, by the way, to give us small boosts of well-being—as much as we may avoid it).

Cultivating “real, deep curiosity about what others are experiencing” is a powerful tool for opening conversation, fostering connection, and deepening relationships, the authors say. “Genuine curiosity invites people to share more of themselves with us, and this in turn helps us understand them.”

Ask questions, and really listen to the answers.

Then—a crucial step—communicate your new understanding of them, giving the life-affirming, bond-strengthening gift of feeling seen.

Tell someone what they mean to you: The authors leave readers with a suggestion for a simple but powerful exercise: “Think about someone, just one person, who is important to you. … Think about what they mean to you, what they have done for you in your life. Where would you be without them? Who would you be? Now think about what you would thank them for if you thought you would never see them again. And at this moment—right now—turn to them. Call them. Tell them.”

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Bonus Idea

Turn Your Front Porch Into a Welcome Mat

By Randy Tatano

You might not think of a front porch as having the potential to be the most social place in your home. But back in the day, it was a place where people would sit and relax and enjoy the weather after a day at work, or simply sip morning coffee as the day began, inviting connection with neighbors walking by. Joanna Taft, who runs the Harrison Center for the Arts in Indianapolis, Indiana, and hosts regular gatherings on her own porch with food and drink, says it’s time to bring back that old-fashioned hospitality.

“We’ve all lost that neighborliness. People are inside with air conditioning, TV, laptops.

We have privacy fences and attached garages. We need to connect with our neighbors,” she said. Several years ago, Ms. Taft started inviting people to hang out on her front porch.

The trend soon took off in her neighborhood. In 2016, alongside a partnership with the Indianapolis 500, the Harrison

Center launched a “Porch Party” movement that quickly spread through the state.

Want to host your own porch party? It doesn’t take much as far as decorating is concerned.

“Make it hospitable,” said Ms. Taft. “Have attractive pillows and consider plants. Ferns make it like an outdoor room.

Think of your porch as a living room where people can be connected.”

No porch? No problem. Use your driveway or front yard.

Ms. Taft brings out “conversation pieces” to get things rolling. She might take a bowl purchased from a local artist, fill it with local foods, and use one of her grandmother’s antique spoons for serving—these items create interest and invite questions. “Don’t have things that match. Go around your house for things that are interesting,” she suggested, “things that tell your family’s story and celebrate your neighborhood.”

Over the years, Ms. Taft

has made friends with people who have a lot in common and others who have different perspectives, as her porch has become a little melting pot. It’s also become a networking tool for those looking for jobs, and for those singles who don’t want to go to bars, it has served as a matchmaker: Two single people met on her porch, had their first date on her porch, and eventually got engaged and married.

“The weekly rhythm of sitting on our front porch enriched our lives in ways we didn’t expect,” Ms. Taft said.

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2. Don’t be afraid of hard things.

By Amy Denney

T Gad Saad is a professor of marketing at Concordia University in Canada.

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he strongest and largest trees are the ones that mature slowly and experience the most stressors—wind that allows them to sway, for instance. It’s a field of study called seismomorphogenesis, how movement affects plants, and it’s been used architecturally to reduce structural brittleness, said Gad Saad, psychologist and author of “The Saad Truth About Happiness: 8 Secrets for Leading the Good Life.”

Humans, he said, can learn to adapt and thrive

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by adopting anti-fragility and embracing failure.

People can even choose to train themselves to experience hardship in order to maximize resilience.

“If everything in life is easy, that’s not the pathway to optimal flourishing. You actually need to be exposed to stressors to be maximally happy,” Mr. Saad said. “I don’t think you can live a fulfilling life if you always take the shortcuts that make things easier, more comfortable for you.

Once in a while, you need to challenge yourself.”

3. Count your blessings and put them on paper.

By Andria Pressel

E

xpressing gratitude is not just a feel-good practice; it’s a scientifically backed tool for improving one’s emotional state and overall quality of life. Two decades ago, a study conducted

by Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough found that people who wrote a few sentences each week recapping events they were grateful for were more optimistic, felt better about their lives, and even visited their physicians less often.

Since then, numerous studies have linked gratitude to improved mental health, social relationships, and overall well-being.

In an essay for Greater Good Magazine, Mr. Emmons identified two components of gratitude: First, “it’s an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we’ve received.” Second, “we recognize the sources of this goodness as being outside of ourselves. … We acknowledge that other people— or even higher powers, if you’re of a spiritual mindset—gave us many gifts, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives.”

Even in the face of trauma or adversity, by shifting the focus from negative thoughts to positive ones, gratitude helps individuals accept and cope with their circumstances more effectively.

Start a daily practice, such as listing a few things you’re grateful for in a gratitude journal, or writing a gratitude letter to a specific person (whether or not you send it). Experts suggest being as specific as possible; including details about a single person or event is more effective than making a broad statement. Consider the past, present, and future: what you’re thankful for from the past, what you enjoy about the present moment, and what you’re hopeful for in the future. Imagine what your life would be like without certain people, savor surprises, and pay attention to the little things in life that bring you joy.

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Bonus Idea

Healthy Recipes for the Family

Recipes by SHAWN STEVENSON

GRATITUDE SALAD WITH ASANTE DRESSING This amazing salad features the very first homemade dressing I ever had.

My mom-in-law made it for me at a time when eating a salad was brand new in my life. Believe it or not, coming from my heavily processed-food upbringing, I didn’t have my first salad until I was 25 years old! This salad, and this incredible dressing, bridged the gap. I couldn’t believe that a salad could taste so flavorful and fulfilling.

Since my wife and mom-in-law are from Kenya, I named the dressing Asante Sana, which means “thank you very much” in Swahili.

This is a wonderful side salad, but you can easily include some additional

protein (steak or fish would be great) to make it a full-on meal.

to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the almonds and serve.

SERVES 4 TO 6

ASANTE SANA DRESSING

5 (5-ounce) containers mixed greens or 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes 1 large carrot, grated 1/2 cup Asante Sana Dressing (see recipe) Sea salt and black pepper 1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds ➤ Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, and carrot in a large bowl. ➤ Toss with the dressing and season

I used to think that salad dressing only came in a bottle. Then one day my beautiful mother-in-law made this dressing for me, and I was hooked!

Being from Kenya, she taught me that asante sana means “thank you” in Swahili. I’m thankful for this recipe and thankful for her, too.

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS 2 Medjool dates, pitted 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, peeled 2 tablespoons minced red onion 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 1 cup raw almond butter 1 tablespoon raw honey 1 tablespoon nama shoyu (raw soy sauce) or coconut aminos Juice of 1 small-medium lemon 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 cup water, plus extra as needed ➤ Put the dates in a small bowl and

cover with warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes to soften.

➤ Drain the dates, then combine

them with the olive oil, garlic, onion, ginger, almond butter, honey, soy sauce, lemon juice, cayenne, and water in a high-speed blender. Blend on high until smooth, adding more water as needed to reach your desired consistency. (We like it pretty thick but still pourable!)

➤ Use immediately or transfer to a jar,

cover, and store in the fridge for up to 4 days

Note: In addition to salad dressing, this also works as a phenomenal dip! And if you like things spicier, you can add some minced fresh jalapeño, or simply up the amount of cayenne.

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SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CURRY One of my biggest food crushes would have to be curries. I love the spice combinations, nutrient-dense ingredients, and saucy finished products. This chicken curry is a staple at our house. As a little nutrition and flavor bonus, I like to add some kalamata olives on top after it’s plated. They actually pair amazingly with this dish! Serve with rice or quinoa and a vegetable side of your choice.

SERVES 6 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste 3 garlic cloves, minced 4 to 6 tablespoons curry powder (I like lots and use way more than this, but this is a good place to start if you’re new to curry) 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3 bell peppers (I use yellow and red), cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch squares 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces (I use a mix of breasts and thighs) 1/2 cup chicken broth ➤ Combine the coconut milk, tomato

paste, garlic, curry powder, salt, and pepper in a slow cooker and whisk together. Add the bell peppers and onion, then the chicken.

➤ Pour the broth over the chicken and mix everything together to completely cover the chicken in the curry mixture. Cover and cook at low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours.

B’S HOT COCOA Whenever my youngest son has a day home from school, he loves for me to whip up this superfood hot cocoa as I’m making coffee for my wife and myself. Not only does it provide powerhouse nutrition for his brain and growing body, but it also brings us together for a family ritual in the morning that helps us all connect.

Kids and adults alike have thrived utilizing medicinal mushrooms like reishi for thousands of years. One of its most remarkable benefits was highlighted in the journal Mediators of Inflammation, detailing reishi’s elite immune system supportive and anti-inflammatory properties.

There are also numerous studies on reishi’s ability to help calm the nervous system and even improve sleep quality at night. For instance, a study published in the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior found that reishi has the potential to decrease sleep latency (meaning it helps you fall asleep faster) and was also found to improve the quality of deep sleep.

Morning calm and focus, or evening relaxation and recovery—this is a great drink to support your mission.

SERVES 1 1 cup unsweetened almond milk 1 tablespoon raw cacao or cocoa powder 1 tablespoon collagen peptides 1/2 teaspoon reishi or other medicinal mushroom powder Pinch of ground cinnamon Pinch of ground cardamom 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or raw honey A few drops of stevia, or to taste ➤ Heat the almond milk in a small

saucepan over medium heat until just simmering.

➤ Transfer to a blender along with the cacao, collagen peptides, reishi, cinnamon, cardamom, sugar, and stevia. ➤ Blend until frothy. Pour into a mug and enjoy!

Adapted from “Eat Smarter Family Cookbook” by Shawn Stevenson. Copyright 2023 by Shawn Stevenson. Photographs

by Eva Kolenko. Used with permission from Spark, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company, New York. All rights reserved.

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Leatrice Eiseman helped to launch the Color of the Year at Pantone, which now influences branding and products across different industries.

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The Life-Changing Power of Color Pantone Color Institute executive director Leatrice Eiseman shares the latest color trends, and how different colors can convey different emotions

By Xenia Taliotis

L

eatrice Eiseman can tell you which color to wear to boost your chances of succeeding in business or love, which tone to paint your bedroom to secure a good night’s sleep, and which hues to use to motivate your staff. As a color specialist, director of the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training, and executive director of the Pantone Color Institute— where she heads the committee that selects its hugely influential Color of the Year—her expertise is recognized internationally.

After studying psychology, counseling, and design, a serendipitous encounter gave Ms. Eiseman the opportunity to turn her passion for color into a career. Now, her clients span individuals wishing to know which colors flatter them, homeowners seeking inspiration for their interior design, and global companies seeking advice on new products, branding, and advertising campaigns. Color, as she succinctly puts it, is the silent salesperson.

Ms. Eiseman spoke with American Essence about the complexity of color psychology, predicting Barbie pink, and her perfect shade for a bedroom.

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This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

American Essence: When did you realize you approached color differently from your peers?

Leatrice Eiseman: I was so young that it was my parents—and my mom in particular— who noticed. She told me that by the time

I was about 4 or 5 years old, I was already using color creatively. She thought I had an eye for pairings that worked and did her utmost to encourage that, to the extent that, when I was in my teens, she let me choose the paints for my bedroom. However, she set one condition: If I hated the results, I would have to save up to rectify matters and do the grunt work myself. Luckily, I loved what I did. I can still picture that room—red bedspread, black desk. It was my first interiors project.

AE: How did you become involved with Pantone?

Ms. Eiseman: Quite by chance. I had already written my first book—“More Alive With Color: The Total Color System for Women and Men”—and was researching my next, when Lawrence Herbert, who founded Pantone, contacted me. He’d seen my book, called me in for a meeting, and then invited me to join his newly established Institute, which aimed to forecast trends across all sectors, including interior design, homeware, fashion, and manufacturing.

In 1999, we launched our Color of the Year initiative. We nominated Cerulean Blue, with no expectation of where it would lead.

Today, the Pantone Color of the Year gets great media coverage and is hugely influential, advising companies on critical decisions about product or branding as well as inspiring people to redecorate or introduce a splash of that color—a cushion or throw, say, or a scarf—to their homes or wardrobes. At the JA N . – F EB. 2024

COLOR FORECAST FOR 2024 Pantone’s Fashion Trend Report has predicted several on-trend colors, all of which convey a sense of freedom and creative self-expression.

Ms. Eiseman gave us a sneak peek:

Watercress a peppery green

Rooibos Tea a full-bodied red with woody notes

Lemon Drop

a fruity, zesty lemon

Capri

a bold azure

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Sowing the Seeds To reap a cornucopia in the summer, now’s the time to gather the seeds.

Here are the best sources we found

By Eric Lucas

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“I

n the depth of winter,” philosopher Albert Camus wrote, “I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.”

It must have been the day a seed catalog arrived.

Oh, the dreams of July and anticipation of August, the visions of vermilion strawberries, crimson tomatoes, crisp green beans, ears of corn as big as shoes and as golden as treasure. These are the midwinter stock-in-trade of garden catalogs, and their wares are winter fancies that bring summer reality.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of seed and plant purveyors in the United States, and their catalogs are among the most cheerfully optimistic modern media, invariably written, photographed, and designed on the sunny side of the street.

Dating back in America to David Landreth’s 1784 Philadelphia seed-selling company—popularizer of tomatoes, among other delights, to avid growers Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and James Monroe—the industry had its start in 1612 at the annual farm fair in Frankfurt, Germany, where Dutch grower Emanuel Sweert distributed a sales list of flower bulbs. In the United States, W. Atlee Burpee enlisted color printing and decorative illustrators to make his catalog a widely anticipated winter mailbox item in the 1870s.

Today, there are general-purpose, mass-market catalogs, such as Burpee’s and Jung’s, the foundations of the industry. There are vegetable-specific titles, such as Jung’s Totally Tomatoes. There are organic-only catalogs, such as Uprising, in Bellingham, Washington. There are regional purveyors, such as Territorial, the West Coast colossus in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and David’s Garden Seeds, near San Antonio, offering varieties for the harsh Gulf Coast climate. Seed saver catalogs honor ancient human traditions,

and brand new efforts such as New York’s Row 7 Seeds are a hybrid of old and new approaches.

Specialty catalogs focus on specific items—roses, lilies, medicinal herbs. All this is in addition to the big companies such as Monsanto, though the latter typifies the industrial, high-input chemical-intensive side of agriculture, while the catalogs that go to American households largely steer away from that horticultural philosophy; in fact, several of the companies that follow make a point of declaring they are not owned by Monsanto.

They all reject GMO plant varieties as well.

What unites these myriad enterprises is one of nature’s most wonderful, but overlooked, marvels.

“Plants and people have been in partnership as long as there have been people. We are part of each other’s family.”

Jeanine Scheffert, education & engagement manager at Seed Savers Exchange “We live in a world of seeds,” points out biology popularizer Thor Hanson, author of “The Triumph of Seeds.” “From our morning coffee to the cotton in our clothes, seeds are the overlooked bedrock of diets and economies around the globe.”

Gardening offers us the opportunity to share in the plant kingdom’s universal abundance.

I used to walk in the shade With those blues on parade [but] Life can be so sweet On the sunny side of the street.

Louis Armstrong’s famous lyrics are the ethos of every garden catalog. So get your order ready.

Spring’s just around the corner.

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Totally Tomatoes (J.W. Jung) Nathan Zondag’s kids’ summer vacation daily activities included browsing their dad’s tomato patch to bring ripe fruits to the kitchen.

“They spent a lot of time with me collecting tomatoes from our backyard for dinner,” Mr. Zondag recalled. “It is truly a blessing how excited they are to eat the food they had a hand in growing.”

As well they should be.

Zondag is president and CEO of J.W. Jung & Company, which publishes Totally Tomatoes, a compendium devoted to what may be the most popular garden vegetable in the United States.

Jung’s 68-page 2024 catalog will contain more than 300 different tomatoes and 190 peppers and will be mailed to about 750,000 customers. All told, Jung’s eight different catalogs, which range from beans and tomatoes to general garden seeds, go to more than 5 million American households. The company’s overall mission includes a focus on what Mr. Zondag calls proven varieties: OP (open pollinated) and heirloom types that “have stood the test of time—they produce delicious, beautiful fruit that has been enjoyed for hundreds of years.” That said, TT adds new types each year.

Mr. Zondag’s own preferences reflect that vast variety.

“I like to grow a few different tomatoes each summer,” he said. “I usually include Sunsugar, Sweet Million, and Early Girl, then try some new varieties to see what kinds my kids will especially like.”

Having started in the seed business at the age of 4 with his grandfather, founder J.W. Jung’s son, Mr. Zondag has seen seed-selling evolve for decades. He’s heartened to observe that younger Americans are gravitating toward backyard gardening.

“It’s a youth movement to get young families into the garden, a surge of people 25 to 40 years old who have taken up gardening for the first time. And with that, we have seen a push to container gardening to try to find ways to grow food in smaller spaces.”

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Darkstar

Green Zebra

Heartbreakers Dora Red

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Giant Garden Paste

Based in: Randolph, Wisconsin Varieties available: 300 tomatoes, 190 peppers Try these: Black Krim tomato, Green zebra tomato, Heartbreakers Dora Red, Giant Garden Paste Website: TotallyTomato.com

Native Seeds/SEARCH So many of the world’s food crops have their origins in Mesoamerica that their priceless antecedents can become lost in the global agriculture arena, which is growing ever more industrialized and heedless of its roots. This Sonoran Desert organization was founded in 1983 to gather, preserve, and popularize the traditional varieties of foods, fruits, and flowers that were life-giving to the Western Hemisphere’s original inhabitants, as well as the European settlers who migrated westward over the past 500 years. Many are rare types still close to their wild ancestors, such as the chiltepin chiles from which many modern hot peppers are descended.

The NS/S seed bank conserves nearly 2,000 crop varieties that are particularly suited to arid-lands growth such as in the American Southwest—foods such as chile peppers, beans, squash, corn, and more that formed the mainstay of life in North America for thousands of years.

Approximately 500 of those varieties are listed for purchase each year. Today, NS/S is also focusing on food sovereignty, expanding knowledge about and community-based production of the varieties it has preserved—as its website states, “the foods our grandparents used to grow.”

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Chihuahuan Ornamental

Casados Multicolor Corn

Magdalena Acelgas

Beck’s Gardenville Okra

DiMeglio Arugula

Based in: Tucson, Arizona Varieties available: 500 Try these: Beck’s Gardenville okra, Caje Muni cowpea, DiMeglio arugula, Casados multicolor corn (a high elevation variety) Website: NativeSeeds.org

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Photo Credits On the Cover Photo: Courtesy of Jamie Kern Lima Pictured: Jamie Kern Lima is an American entrepreneur, investor, and media personality 2 | Brad McGinley Photography/Moment/ Getty Images 4–5 | Clockwise: Courtesy of Jamie Kern Lima, Eva Kolenko, public domain, Samira Bouaou for American Essence 8 | Courtesy of Carnegie Hall 9 | Top: Public domain Bottom: IMDB 10–11 | Top: Courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Lanai Bottom: Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton 12–17 | Courtesy of Jamie Kern Lima Background: KARYNA MELNYK/iStock/ Getty Images 21–22 | Larry Dye 24 | Larry Dye 27 | Eastman Kodak Company 28 | Clockwise: Christian Mackie/ Unsplash, public domain, Morio (CC0 BY 3.0, CreativeCommons.org/publicdomain/ by 3.0) 29 | Clockwise: Public domain, marleyPug/Shutterstock, Morio (CC0 BY 3.0, CreativeCommons.org/publicdomain/ by 3.0) 33 | Michael Swensen/Stringer/Getty Images News 34 | Top: Michael Swensen/Stringer/Getty Images News 36–39 | Courtesy of TGR Foundation 40–42 | Courtesy of Deanna Lynn 43–45 | Library of Congress 46–47 | Top left: Public domain All others: Library of Congress 49 | Library of Congress 51 | Los Angeles County Museum of Art 52 | Gift of Joseph P.B. Henshaw 53 | Public domain 54 | Biba Kayewich for American Essence 56 | LizaKoz (CC0 BY 4.0, CreativeCommons.org/publicdomain/by 4.0) 57 | Barry Lewis/Alamy Stock Photo 58 | Phil Burchman/Staff/Archive Photos/ Getty Images 60–61 | Public domain 62 | Library of Congress 63 | Susan Montgomery/Shuttersock 64 | Public domain

65 | melissamn/Shutterstock 66 | Express/Stringer/Archive Photos/ Getty Images 67 | Rawpixel 68 | Biba Kayewich for American Essence 69 | Top: Public domain Bottom: Courtesy of Victor Davis Hanson 70 | Wellcome (CC0 BY 4.0, CreativeCommons.org/publicdomain/by 4.0) 71 | mikroman6/Moment/Getty Images 74 | Top: Hulton Archive/Stringer/Archive Photos/Getty Images Bottom: Public domain 75–79 | Public domain 80–83 | Tree: IADA/Shutterstock Letters: kaer_stock/Shutterstock, Jakub Krechowicz/Shutterstock Borders: SERHII PSAROV/iStock/Getty Images Plus Illustrations: Biba Kayewich for American Essence 85 | Courtesy of Row 7 Seeds Co. 86 | Biba Kayewich for American Essence 88 | Top: Maskot/Getty Images Bottom: Courtesy of Gad Saad 89 | ingwervanille/Moment/Getty Images 90 | Top: Liudmila Chernetska/iStock/ Getty Images Plus Bottom: Courtesy of Mary Alvord 91 | Top: Adhiraj Chakrabarti for American Essence Bottom: Angel Luciano/Unsplash 92 | Top: Courtesy of Dr. Uma Naidoo Bottom: Monika Grabkowska/Unsplash 93 | Shawn Stevenson Media 94–95 | Portrait: Shawn Stevenson Media All others: Eva Kolenko 97 | Stolee Communications 98 | LARISA DUKA/Shutterstock 99 | Top: Archi_Viz/Shutterstock Bottom: vanitjan/Shutterstock 100 | Dejan_Dundjerski/iStock/Getty Images 102 | Courtesy of Totally Tomatoes 103 | Courtesy of Native Seeds/SEARCH 104 | Courtesy of Row 7 Seeds Co. 105 | Courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange 106 | Amitava Sarkar 107 | Paige Nyman 109 | Clockwise: Paige Nyman, Katelyn Rhodes, Sharon Bradford, Joamanuel Velazquez 110 | Joamanuel Velazquez 114 | Courtesy of Dr. Daniel Amen

Quiz Answers True or False 1. True. Scaling El Capitan was once considered impossible. Harding did it with thousands of feet of rope and carts with wheels for shuttling supplies.

2. True. Parkman made it only as far as Fort Laramie, Wyoming.

3. False. Artists like Thomas Cole and Albert Bierstadt often journeyed deep into the wilderness to capture their breathtaking nature scenes.

4. False. Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean, but she did complete 22,000 miles out of the total 29,000-mile journey.

Fill-in-the-Blank 5. Wild Frontier. While the song inflates Crockett’s legend with embellishments like “Killed him a bear when he was only three,” the frontiersman certainly led a storied life.

6. Manifest. Until the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, most of these journeys were made via covered wagon.

7. Raft. In support of this claim, Huck narrates the charming detail that he and Jim would look up at the stars, “and discuss about whether they was made, or only just happened.”

Multiple Choice 8. C. The fourth mountain named after Sacagawea is in Wyoming.

9. B. Hugh Glass did eventually find the rest of his trapping company.

Unlike in the film, though, he forgave them for leaving him behind, rather than seeking vengeance.

10. A. Muir is known as “The Father of Our National Park System” for his pioneering conservation efforts.

JA N . – F EB. 2024

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Dr. Daniel Amen.

Healthy Brain, Healthy You Psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen reveals his daily regimen for optimal brain health

By Channaly Philipp

I

f there’s one thing that Dr. Daniel Amen wishes everyone knew about brain health, it’s this valuable lesson he’s learned from over 225,000 brain scans done at Amen Clinics: “You’re not stuck with the brain you have.”

“Even if you have been bad to your brain—too much stress, not enough sleep, toxic relationships, excessive drinking, taking drugs, junkfood diet, or head injuries—you can change your brain and change your life,” he said. Dr. Amen is the author of multiple bestselling books, including his latest, “Change Your Brain Every Day: Simple Daily Practices to Strengthen Your Mind, Memory, Moods, Focus, Energy, Habits, and Relationships.”

Below, we asked him about his own daily regimen for brain health.

American Essence: What two or three simple habits have been most impactful for you, in your daily life?

Dr. Daniel Amen: At the top of my daily to-do list is starting my day by saying, “Today is going to be a great day!” When you tell your brain

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it’s going to be a great day, your brain starts to look for ways to make that true. Where you bring your attention determines how you feel.

By focusing on what I’m excited about, I feel happier and more optimistic.

At the end of the day, I always ask myself, “What went well today?” Thinking about the day’s “highlight reel” at night sets up my dreams to be more positive and gives me a better night’s sleep. I love doing this exercise every night because it helps me remember wonderful moments I might have forgotten in my busy life.

AE: What are your favorite physical activities for brain health?

Dr. Amen: My favorite brain sport is table tennis. It works many different areas of the brain at once as you track the ball, coordinate your movements, plan your shots, and figure out spins. I like to call it aerobic chess.

AE: What foods do you make sure to incorporate into your daily routine?

Dr. Amen: Food is so important for brain function, memory, and mental well-being. I only eat foods I love that love me back. This means eating organic foods that are anti-inflammatory and avoiding highly processed junk. I also eat protein at each meal to help stabilize blood sugar, make sure I’m adequately hydrated (because the brain is 80 percent water), stick with smart carbs that are high in fiber and low-glycemic, eat healthy fats like avocado and olive oil, and liberally use herbs and spices.

For example, today, I started my day with a healthy smoothie, then had a kale salad with chicken for lunch, some chopped veggies and hummus for a snack, and pan-roasted salmon with veggies for dinner. For dessert, I made a brain-healthy hot chocolate (with organic, sugarless raw cacao powder, almond milk, a drop of stevia, and almond milk whipped cream with just 1 gram of sugar). Absolutely delicious!

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AE: How do you take care of your spiritual fitness?

Dr. Amen: I have always had a strong faith and go to church on a weekly basis. But I also believe that spirituality goes beyond religion. It’s what gives your life meaning. For me, helping our patients at Amen Clinics to overcome anxiety, depression, ADHD, emotional trauma, and other issues gives me a deep sense of purpose in life. •

“Falun Gong is, in my judgement, the single greatest spiritual movement in Asia today.

There’s nothing that begins to compare with it in courage and importance.”

—Mark Palmer FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR

s not included e preview.

“What made Falun Gong stand out from other qigong exercises and meditation practices was a moral system—compassion, truthfulness, and forbearance— unmistakably Buddhist in origin.”

—Arthur Waldron LAUDER PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

A LIFE-CHANGING BESTSELLER

Capturing the Hearts of Millions This book expounds upon the profound principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. It focuses on a long-forgotten term called “cultivation,” and the importance of moral character on one’s path to spiritual perfection. The book explains the role of karma as the root cause of illness and tribulations, along with many other mysteries of life and the universe.

Zhuan Falun, the main text of the spiritual practice Falun Dafa, was a national bestseller in China in the 1990s, and has since been translated into over 40 languages. Find out why it has captured the hearts and minds of tens of millions of people in over 100 countries worldwide!

Scan the QR code with your phone camera to open our website, or visit:

FaYuanBooks.com

CHINA BEFORE COMMUNISM

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