As of September 21st, 2016: It has been a little over 15 years since the 'Kindergarten class of 9/11' witnessed the events of the day unfold. There are 47 days until the 2016 Presidential Election.

But right now, I am standing on a road.

If I turn around and look behind me, I see the entirety of what I have learned about U.S. history over the course of my life. This includes the social studies book that sat on my desk every day in 3rd grade. This includes the heated debates that happened at Labor Day barbecues with family friends. This includes the soldier who cried during the 21-gun salute at the first funeral I can remember attending, and this includes the sarcasm and jokes thrown around by adults who knew much more than I did, standing around waiting for one of the candidates of the 2012 election to come out and speak at a rally.

The road includes the tweets I read as my family and I watched a small, good part of our city burn after Michael Brown was shot and killed in Ferguson. It includes the empty seats surrounding friends and I in a small Ferguson restaurant, as we tried to support a small business months after the destruction took place. It includes #nevertrump and #neverhillary.

The road behind me is long, and it is bumpy, and most of it was paved by others so that I could tiptoe through- distracted by a multitude of things along the way. The day we will #neverforget has contributed to the spirit I have right now, and I feel very patriotic and I feel very strongly that there is no place I would rather be than the United States of America. But if you ask me the extent of my daily involvement in the promotion of the welfare of this great country, the only thing I could offer at present is that I think 'merica is a great theme for a football game or a party, and that I always make sure I stand in respect when the National Anthem is played.

America has a pretty face. But it's no secret that we are broken: economically, mentally, philosophically, historically, ecologically, emotionally, racially, politically, spiritually, intellectually, morally. To some extent, we're broken in just about every way possible. However, I think one misconception that is common around the world is the idea that we are okay with this brokenness. That is not the case. Americans do not want to be in a bad place. That should be obvious, but it's not.

Americans do not want to be in a bad place. We're not okay with it. If I could say anything to someone outside of the United States, I would let them know that we have high standards and that our standards are important to us. There is repetition and company and popularity in complaining about the state of the country, but that is simply our immature way of conveying the fact that we would rather be in a place that is better than the place we're in right now. America wants to be good. America wants to be great.

We are in a state of longing. And instead of doing something about it, we turn to the opposite party and yell at them. Please grow up and look forward again. The road ahead is full of choices and mistakes and victories and the unknown. The road ahead is 47 days long. 47 days from now, you'll wish you had done something a little more productive and informative. 4 years from now, you'll realize the complaining you're doing today and your refusal to listen to people you disagree with did not help a single thing. Read a newspaper. Read the entire article you clicked on when you were bored. Pass by the funny pop culture tweet and follow the link that will lead you to a credible news source. Don't stop until you understand the point of view that you initially disagreed with. At the end of the day, maybe you will still disagree with it. But at least you'll understand.

It is one thing to be educated; it is another to be well-intentioned. Be both.

Give politicians some respect. As much as we love to hate them, they are the individuals who have the most control over our lives.

There are a lot of opinions floating around. But at the end of the day, no matter what you believe, you simply cannot argue with the fact that Americans do not want to be in a bad place. America wants to be great. If you do try to argue with that, we have bigger problems to talk about.

So when you are standing in a crowd on a hill full of flags, or you are listening to the prayers of your friends for your country, or you are complaining about the state of the U.S., or you are debating about what's right and what's wrong, or when the words "republican" and "democrat" become more important than the word "America," remember the phrase a friend offered to me on the 15th anniversary of the day that changed so many lives: "We did not earn this."

We did not earn this, so you can decide if you are going to complain about inheriting a "mess," or you can grow up and decide to be thankful that you have the opportunity to do something about it. St. John Paul II said, "Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought."

We can adopt the same perspectie and realize that this country is a blessing. It is a grace. It is free and it is undeserved and if you want it to be great, I suggest you become more educated and well-intentioned than you are right now, because that is the only way the road forward to greatness is going to be paved. You have 47 days. Use them wisely.