Oh Independence Day!
Oh Independence Day! The day that commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, and the day we, the general public, gets to enjoy a day off that involves good food and is a time for our inner pyromaniac to come out and play.
Side note/fun fact, during the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain in 1776 actually took place on July 2. After evaluating a proposal from Richard Henry Lee of Virginia in June of 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted and approved the United States independence from Great Britain’s rule.
All of that to say, technically, America’s actual independence day occurred on July 2, 1776. Now two days later on July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this ever so important and nation changing decision written up by a Committee of Five with Thomas Jefferson as principal author, was debated, revised and approved by Congress.
Maybe that doesn’t interest anyone except me and some others interested in history, but I don’t believe we should celebrate something without knowing the accurate historical facts and reasons behind the many red, white and blue decorations and various patriotic songs aired on the radio.
Not knowing the facts and information can lead to ignorance. Thomas Jefferson summed it up well when he said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”
I had a very small gathering of friends get together at my house for food and fireworks, and like any holiday at my house, I waited till the very last minute to actually plan and buy the things I needed.
People were coming over at 7 p.m. and by 4 p.m. I still was in dire need of hot dog buns and fireworks. I know, I know, that sentence is infuriating and one would think that I would be more organized and proactive with my planning.
I literally have done this with all the major holidays this past year. I think if we were to break it down, the reason I don’t plan or want to think about another holiday already being upon us is because my brain cannot even comprehend that a whole other month or three months has gone by so quickly!
Even though it was all last minute, everything went smoothly. We ate copious amounts of hamburgers and chips, and enjoyed s’mores.
When the sun finally went down around 8:50 p.m. we all enjoyed the fireworks I had bought after fighting them out of the hands of some lady in the parking lot of Walmart.
This lady seriously had five, count them FIVE, mega-packs of fireworks. You know the ones that cost a couple hundred bucks? She grabbed the last medium grade package right out of my hands and started walking up to pay.
If you think that I just shrugged my shoulders and said whatever, you would be dead wrong, but I will save you all from those gory details. Just know that I went home with the medium grade fireworks I had wanted.
Although America is currently so divided because of political, moralistic and ethical views, as I watched the awe-inducing red and blue fireworks I started thinking of my friends up in Minnesota, my family down south and all my other friends in California, Washington D.C. and Hawaii.
All of us so different when it comes to looks, ethnicities and political views, but all of us enjoying a night of fireworks and fun.
I’m not naive enough to say that fireworks and a single holiday can fix a diverse nation of hurt frustrated people, but I find it encouraging that, in some way, America was unified this past Tuesday night.
Every person eating good food, hanging out with loved ones and enjoying fireworks.