As a former weekend warrior, I feel compelled to apologize to Boone and Sarge for interrupting the bar-room sharing of war stories. But then, I've felt compelled to do many things in my life that I've chosen to ignore. This is no different.
Independence Day is my favorite holiday of the year. Literally. Since my late teen years, it's topped Christmas; and it trumped Easter, New Years, Halloween, and even Grandparents' Day (combined) long before.
I simply cannot put into words how proud, humbled, and grateful I am to be an American. It may have been by simple dumb luck, if you believe in such things, but my very soul is American.
I really take to heart what that means; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. How many people the world over still long for those most basic of unalienable rights? How blessed am I to have always enjoyed them?
As we enter this long holiday weekend, I humbly give thanks for all of the men and women who came before us who gave us the opportunity to enjoy it.
A few things really stick out in my head when I think about this country of ours. First and foremost, the flat out balls of our Founders to stand up to the original superpower, and declare this land ours. And the farmers, merchants, and tradesmen who took up muskets, actually believing they'd kick that superpower's ass.
And since then, every time Americans have been called to protect her, or protect the cause of freedom wherever it might be, that bell has been answered. And every last time, we've been the one standing in the end.
But being an American isn't about war. War is a means to an end. Being an American is about embracing, deep in your SOUL, the ideal that those brave men and women fought, bled, and died for. The ideal that "all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are LIFE.....LIBERTY....AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
That's what makes us Americans. We live. We live free. And we use that freedom to pursue what makes us happy. How blessed are we to have that opportunity, that privilege, and that God-given and fellow American-protected right?
I love this country with every ounce of my being; flaws and all. And I know in my heart that while we may not be perfect, we are the greatest and most blessed civilization ever to call this earth home. To all who have ever so much as a lifted a finger to make that statement true, a heartfelt thank you, and an even more heartfelt God bless you.