Freedom! Why the 4th Rocks

Ahhhh, the 4^th of July.  Independence day.  Freedom.  The single best day to be an American.  A long weekend full of fireworks, whiffle-ball games, hot dogs and sausages, burgers and brats.  Time spent with family and friends on the lake or around the pool grilling, camping, fishing, skiing and doing cannon balls.    

Although Memorial Day is the official day we honor veterans, the 4^th, for me, is the day that really drives home all the sacrifices the men and women in our armed forces have made over the years.  It starts with “the originals,” the warriors who fought against the Redcoats in order to gain this nation's independence but it sure doesn’t end there.  All the brave men and women who have fought for and continue to fight for our freedom are never more appreciated than during the 4^th. 

The 4th is unbeatable because it allows American’s to reconnect with the little kid that lives inside each one of us.  Whether it’s spending hundreds on fireworks, driving radically on the boat with no other intent than to knock their nine year old off the tube or staying up later than usual around the fire to tell that story you promised your roommate would never escape your lips; adults, young adults, teens and children nationwide recognize the 4th as the one celebration where damn near anything goes.  

I love the 4^th.  Growing up it meant five days of exploding black cats, jumping jacks, blowing up toy cars and trying not to visit the hospital.  My block (a cul-de-sac that was traffic-less and quite possibly the best kick the can street ever) always had a fourth of July block party complete with a fireworks show that almost always caught the attention of the local fire department.  People would gather near the cul-de-sac, which happened to be in front of my house, and we would light fireworks well into the night.  Many of my fondest memories of that neighborhood include those shows of exploding merriment. 

My small town, being the biggest in the county, always put on one hell of a show.  Complete with soldiers marching, bugles blaring, watermelon stands, an always impressive rendition of the National Anthem and the ever present excitement/danger of novices in charge of thousands of dollars of highly explosive material, the McPherson County Fireworks show at Wall Park never disappointed. 

The 4th’s spent near the battlefields where the USA earned its independence aren’t too shabby either.  We were lucky enough to have access to a house on one of the seemingly millions of lakes.  I spent the last five years and Jen most of her life celebrating the fourth on Great East.  Lobster bakes, boat rides, fireworks lit by massive cigars exploding over the water and unlimited amounts of fun.  Celebrated differently across the US, it all stands for the same thing; freedom.  Freedom is magnificent.  America is the best country in the world in my biased opinion.  I have lived in other countries and visited at least twenty others; it is not even close, there is no contest.  We have our issues and struggles but being born American and having the opportunity to live life in this great country is nothing but fortune.   

So drink a beer or five, eat a brat AND a burger.  Spit watermelon seeds.  Light fireworks.  Live life, because you can, because countless men and women have fought and sacrificed and continue to do so, so that we can enjoy these freedoms.  America;  awesome.