dual personalities

Happy Independence Day and Happy Birthday to our dear brother! I hope that this year everyone will take a little time to consider the significance of July 4th.

We could use a good reminder of why we celebrate freedom. People have been focusing so much attention on the negative aspects (some real, some imagined) of our fair nation that they have forgotten all the good things. Peter Schramm’s personal reminiscence (read the whole thing) offers an eloquent reminder of what this country is all about. Or read a good American history book, perhaps something by David McCullough or Shelby Foote. In his latest column, son #2 had this to say about July 4th:

“I needn’t recount all of America’s present woes here, but the entire reason we celebrate July 4 as a holiday is because we had plenty of woes before and found solutions.

That’s pretty much what all of history is. Some woes are worse than others. Some solutions come swiftly and some come slowly. Sometimes we take steps in the wrong direction, but we try.

Independence Day is all about celebrating America’s potential. When they signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, they didn’t know what was going to happen or what the future would hold. Technically, that’s impossible. But you’ve got to dream big if you’re going to get anything done.”

If you’re not in the mood to read, do something outside! Remember baseball? If you can’t attend a game, go play one.

Or have a yard sale (but do check your spelling first)!

If the spelling problem is stressing you out, take a hike — America is full of beautiful places to wander!

However you spend your day — whether you are wealthy or poor, happy or sad, healthy or sick — consider how lucky you are to live in a free country! Teddy Roosevelt once wrote, “I am an American; free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit.” Mull that over… and have a great weekend!