For Spacious Skies
The Fourth of July is the perfect holiday, isn't it? Barbecues, sunshine, and good feelings about our wonderful country.
Despite all of the turmoil, and there is always turmoil, the US of A as Archie Bunker might say is still the greatest country in the world, and the pride you feel when celebrating the nation's birthday is always uplifting.
Glad it happened in July though. Could you imagine celebrating it on, say November 5? That would suck.
And I say that because of the ribs. My brother Jim made the call early in the week. "Ribs and swimming at my place," he said. "Get the ribs, I'll cook 'em. Three of four slabs should work."
Later in the week, "Make it five or six slabs," he said.
Now, I'm all for having too much food rather than fighting for the last rib. "You want that?" is usually all the inspiration I need to take the last rib.
"I could eat these until I pass out," I told my sister.
"Looks like you're going to try it too," she said.
And while I ate I remembered why the holiday was important to me. I recalled getting ready for the bicentennial celebration of 1976 and how it felt to hold one of those special quarters in my hand. I recall thinking of Francis Scott Key sitting on the boat writing the national Anthem. It was always about the writing. Thought it was neat that he wrote it all down. He must have been fired up that night.
And there was an endless sky yesterday, and it looks like there will be another big sky today, and I look up a lot these days, but with little sadness, because its hard to get down about things when your heart if full of pride. And despite it all I'm proud to be an American. My children have endless opportunities, despite the feelings of standing on shaky ground from time-to-time.
A spacious sky, a lot of laughs, and an unending supply of ribs.
Freedom is cool, isn't it?
Despite all of the turmoil, and there is always turmoil, the US of A as Archie Bunker might say is still the greatest country in the world, and the pride you feel when celebrating the nation's birthday is always uplifting.
Glad it happened in July though. Could you imagine celebrating it on, say November 5? That would suck.
And I say that because of the ribs. My brother Jim made the call early in the week. "Ribs and swimming at my place," he said. "Get the ribs, I'll cook 'em. Three of four slabs should work."
Later in the week, "Make it five or six slabs," he said.
Now, I'm all for having too much food rather than fighting for the last rib. "You want that?" is usually all the inspiration I need to take the last rib.
"I could eat these until I pass out," I told my sister.
"Looks like you're going to try it too," she said.
And while I ate I remembered why the holiday was important to me. I recalled getting ready for the bicentennial celebration of 1976 and how it felt to hold one of those special quarters in my hand. I recall thinking of Francis Scott Key sitting on the boat writing the national Anthem. It was always about the writing. Thought it was neat that he wrote it all down. He must have been fired up that night.
And there was an endless sky yesterday, and it looks like there will be another big sky today, and I look up a lot these days, but with little sadness, because its hard to get down about things when your heart if full of pride. And despite it all I'm proud to be an American. My children have endless opportunities, despite the feelings of standing on shaky ground from time-to-time.
A spacious sky, a lot of laughs, and an unending supply of ribs.
Freedom is cool, isn't it?
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