July 4th, 2017
Happy Independence Day! Otherwise known, among others, as the 4th of July or Day of Picnics and BBQs or the ER’s Worst Day Ever!
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal … ”
Powerful first words, from the Declaration of Independence, penned in the summer of 1776. The Second Continental Congress met on July 1st of that year and the next day 12 of the original 13 colonies adopted the idea of independence from Britain by passing Richard Henry Lee’s motion. For two days the congress debated the original text authored by Thomas Jefferson and on the 4th of July, the revision was passed. The document itself took 2 full weeks to write, in a clear hand – with ink on parchment, and was not signed until almost a month later. Your history lesson for the day.
Too bad our current political arena doesn’t reflect these wise words.
I’m on an island that has a military base … so, our military’s presence (jets and uniforms) is visible to me – mostly when I go up island to Walmart and Home Depot because that is where the base is located. I go up that direction more often than I care to confess – I miss my chain stores!
In any case – I see the jets in their training field and a lot of men and women wearing camo. I used to try to follow the soldiers and then “casually” stick in an off-the-cuff “thank you for your service” but there were so many of them I was feeling like a ball in a pinball machine trying to thank them all and also rather stalkerish! So, now, if someone is near me or I see an isolated person in the parking lot, I’ll make an effort to thank them. It’s the least I can do.
My family isn’t a military one. The last person to wear a uniform in my family was my paternal grandfather, Joe. He was born in 1896 and died 90 years later – having endured whatever atrocities he did in WWI … also known as the “War to End All Wars”.
We know that didn’t happen – wish it had.
Yeah, Grandpa never mentioned the war to me – don’t think he shared much with anyone about anything but particularly not the war. I have a photo of him in his uniform … taken sometime between the war’s start – July 28, 1914 and it’s end on November 11, 1918. He couldn’t have been more than 22 at the time but he looks like a boy – he was so young! It makes my stomach flip. My kids are older now than he was in that photo …
My neighbor is a retired military doctor. I saluted her the other day as I was leaving and she said, “You’re doing it wrong.” So, she taught me the proper way to salute. It’s not as easy as it looks! The thumb has to be tucked up just so (apparently, I have a short thumb as it doesn’t bend and tuck as it’s supposed to!), fingertips at the temple and a strong, sweeping motion downward. I’d been using a cupped hand and going outward. The sad thing is, afterward, my shoulder hurt for days!
I just came across an article about a servicewoman who lost both of her legs (below the knee) and is now fitted with amazing prosthetics – allowing her to do what her doctor’s told her she’d never be able to do … to be independent. To walk again. To have a purposeful life! And not only is she walking – but she’s running and water skiing and you name it! Incredibly amazing!
I want to hug her and then go and hug and thank all the people who came up with her new “legs” – allowing her (and so many others) to continue being independent! All those visionaries and engineers and imagineers and whatever they are called … brilliant minds.
Independence … it means so much in so many ways.
I babysit a darling little girl. She just turned 3 and her favorite phrase is, “I don’t want to.” I see the independence dripping from her. She wants to forge her own way. Make her own path. Do it alone. And do whatever she wants – on her terms. Miss Independent. Good luck, baby.
I have a friend whose mom just had to relinquish her car keys. Her shrinking stature made it difficult for her to see over the steering wheel, the numbing hands and feet made it difficult to grasp and use the pedals and at 86, let’s just say her reflexes – mental and physical – weren’t as good as they had been (or should be) to drive a car. The whole family is dealing with that loss of independence. A hard call but a necessary one – one that, I imagine, we are the last to “see” when we are the ones losing those keys. But, my thinking is – I’d rather pay for a taxi than risk injuring or killing a kid cuz I wasn’t at my best while driving. No independence is worth that!
Washingtonians are really big on pyrotechnics. I moved to this island 3 years (yesterday!) and the first night here I’d thought I’d moved to a bombing site! The whole weekend was mortar shells going off. It’s been oddly quiet this weekend! But, last night there was a display over the harbor. Did I go? No! I just couldn’t stomach the throngs of visitors here this weekend and the traffic and we are light so late – the display doesn’t start ’til sometime after 11:00 pm! But, there is a family, just down the road, who (usually) puts on an incredible private display … so, I’ll mosey on down later and watch from the road and silently thank them for being festive and for celebrating all that this day stands for with fire and their fingers in harm’s way.
I just read that I’m one of the 22% who are NOT going to a BBQ or picnic today … 78% of Americans do. So, if you are one of them – have fun! I’m feeling out of it! No one I know here celebrates or entertains … and I’m tired of always being the one to do it. So, I’m voicing my independence today and staying at home with the dogs! I’ve got enough ribs and potato salad for the 3 of us! I, however, will be the only one drinking the spiked lemonade!
If you are military and are reading this – or have family members who have or are serving – please know I thank you all for the sacrifices made – as plentiful as they are. And to all of you Icky Mucky’s out there who may be thinking of holding firecrackers this afternoon … don’t be stupid. You don’t need to spend the evening in the ER. Today is not the day you need to lose a finger or set your hair on fire!
And one last shout out to John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Thomas Jefferson and my great-something uncle – Ben Franklin … the men who revised the language of the Declaration of Independence. Fine work gentlemen, fine work. Thank you!
Happy 4th everyone!