I wanted to take a moment and wish everyone a happy Independence Day. As the date of our declaration of independence where we told the Brits to take their warm beer and cricket back across the pond, the 4th is obviously an uniquely American holiday. Of course like many of our other holidays, the original meaning of taking time to appreciate the independence our country holds has been co-oped by brats, beers, fireworks and sunburns.
In this particular case (as opposed to Memorial Day, see Becca's earlier post), I think that's a good thing. The 4th is about celebrating the fact that as Americans we have the right (within reason) to do what we please and express ourselves accordingly. For Becca and me, this day will be spent going for a hike with our brother and sister-in-law and then spending time with my family afterwards. For some people, that means having a picnic and watching fireworks; for others having too much to drink and falling asleep at 3pm is their way of expressing independence.
Independence is a touchy subject nowadays. With political bickering at what seems to be an all-time high and the idea of free speech sometimes being dependent on what you're saying, every once in a while people need to take a step back and appreciate what they have. There are countless countries around the world (several of which Becca and I have actually been in) where free speech, independent thought and even something as simple as the right to wear whatever you want is not a given.
So I hope that with this holiday, people take at least a moment to appreciate what we have as a country and the fact that we stuck our necks out to get it 231 years ago. We're by no means perfect but in the grand scheme of things we're a lot better off than most. So appreciate the position you're currently in and take some time to say thank you to the people that help defend our independence around the world on a daily basis. We may not always agree with where they are or what they're doing there, but we should respect the fact that they are willing to put their lives on the line to preserve what we celebrate with beers and sparklers.
Ok, I'm officially off my soapbox. Anyone up for some wiffle ball?
Happy Independence Day to all.
Brian
In this particular case (as opposed to Memorial Day, see Becca's earlier post), I think that's a good thing. The 4th is about celebrating the fact that as Americans we have the right (within reason) to do what we please and express ourselves accordingly. For Becca and me, this day will be spent going for a hike with our brother and sister-in-law and then spending time with my family afterwards. For some people, that means having a picnic and watching fireworks; for others having too much to drink and falling asleep at 3pm is their way of expressing independence.
Independence is a touchy subject nowadays. With political bickering at what seems to be an all-time high and the idea of free speech sometimes being dependent on what you're saying, every once in a while people need to take a step back and appreciate what they have. There are countless countries around the world (several of which Becca and I have actually been in) where free speech, independent thought and even something as simple as the right to wear whatever you want is not a given.
So I hope that with this holiday, people take at least a moment to appreciate what we have as a country and the fact that we stuck our necks out to get it 231 years ago. We're by no means perfect but in the grand scheme of things we're a lot better off than most. So appreciate the position you're currently in and take some time to say thank you to the people that help defend our independence around the world on a daily basis. We may not always agree with where they are or what they're doing there, but we should respect the fact that they are willing to put their lives on the line to preserve what we celebrate with beers and sparklers.
Ok, I'm officially off my soapbox. Anyone up for some wiffle ball?
Happy Independence Day to all.
Brian
1 comment:
We celebrated our Independence by embracing some apparent change in the Minnesota liquor laws by imbibing Fat Tire purchased as Byerly's! Thinking of you.
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