Independence Day

July 4th, 1776 we the United Sates of America declared our independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. So today is a very important celebration, but it sometimes gets masked so easily with all the baseball games, and the boating, the barbecues, the fairs, the picnics, and who could forget the fireworks. It's an extravagant celebration to say the least, but it that all it is? Do we even take the time and stop to marvel at how we got to where we are today? How did we get to 237 years of independence? Brian Turner in his book 'Here, Bullet' writes a poem giving us a glance at what freedom is.

The ghosts of American soldiers

wander the streets of Balad by night,

unsure of their way home, exhausted,

the desert wind blowing trash

down the narrow alleys as a voice

sounds from the minaret, a soulfull call

reminding them how alone they are,

how lost. And the Iraqi dead,

they watch in silence from rooftops

as date palms line the shore in silhouette,

leaning toward Mecca when the dawn wind blows.

Today should be so much more than blowing stuff up and grilling out. Today is a day to reflect all of those who has or who IS serving our country in order to reach that 237 year anniversary mark. So before we marvel at the art work in the sky tonight spend a couple minutes to say thank you to all the brave souls who made this possible.