America Becoming: Framing Our Declaration of Interdependence

Lisa Uhrik’s America Becoming does what the title describes, it is the framework for Our Declaration of Interdependence. The dynamics that makeup America have drastically changed over its almost 246 years, and readers who are parents will begin to understand its changes better after an explanation. Uhrik has cleverly compared our beloved country in terms of its development to that of many of its occupants, the human person, from infancy to our current stage- late adolescence and entering into early adulthood. Who would have thought of a country experiencing similar developmental stages as the main thing that it is comprised of?

Uhrik is known for thinking outside the box and is effective in her explanation of her thoughts, which is needed regarding a topic as (to the majority of American citizens) less than exciting as jumping on our phones and watching the hundreds of newest Tik Toks that just uploaded a second ago containing the latest dance moves, etc. Uhrik dives into the nitty-gritty of not always pleasant conversations or realities that we struggle with understanding and implementing into our daily lives, including finances and faith, but doesn’t use these topics as a soapbox for herself to lecture, but instead integrates them into how America has been dealing with them and the predicted path she will take. Depending on the age range of readers, there likely could be some who have lived through, or at least were taught about, the many changes regarding America’s culture over the decades regarding what is acceptable and considered taboo in the entertainment industry (i.e. music and television) and how it is much different now than ten or twenty years ago. Again, parents of older children might be catching on now how America in general, not counting the possibility of each reader, has gone through a rebellious period much like teenage kids, in hopes of figuring out who she is and wants to be as a nation.

Uhrik also incorporates aspects of herself into the text to make it more relatable and understandable. She includes research when needed, references to psychology and developmental phases of humans, as well as suggestions/resources, to try on your own to give America Becoming the professional, trustworthy, and relatable feel that we strive for to know that we are reading something worthwhile that also doesn’t come off as a lecture in a textbook. Uhrik maintains constant tone and style throughout the book and stays humble in her writing with the intention of simply offering snippets of things to think about that may only affect you or become bigger and affect the whole nation. We as a whole have mostly experienced life as individuals, but it’s time to work on ditching the “independence” and working toward “inter-dependence” with the stress on each other.