Entry #657701, added on 07-04-09 @ 11:36 am EDT
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| The Specialness of the Fourth of July | Entry #657701 |
Title: The Specialness of the Fourth of July
Date: July 4, 2009, Saturday
Thought: I love this country and take pride in unfurling this flags down the streets of our town. The feeling I get when I see dozens of them waving in the breeze is one of deep appreciation and pride.
Jog: It’s 5:30 A.M. and it’s dark outside. I sit behind my wheel, driving down to meet with dozens of other old farts to pick up my quota of American flags. Our Rotary Club puts out 500 of them on six holidays throughout the year. Of course, the Fourth of July is one of them. I’ve done this for a dozen years now. It gets a little old, but it is always, always rewarding. And so, I roll my fat butt out of bed early in the morning, on those special days, and just do it.
But, today was a little bit more special than the others. This morning my granddaughter, Harley, met grandpa down where the old codgers gathered and helped me put out the flags. This is special for a couple of reasons. The first is I love this country and take pride in unfurling this flags down the streets of our town. The feeling I get when I see dozens of them waving in the breeze is one of deep appreciation and pride. Yeah, I know that’s corny; but, that’s just the way I am.
The second reason this is special is that I get to be with my granddaughter. That is something grandpa and she do together that no one else in the family shares. It’s our time. Afterwards we always go out for breakfast and share what’s happening in our lives. It’s a way for me to show her I care about this land of ours and to show her I care for her—to emphasize she is special—and she is.
I have great dreams for Harley. I am pleased that she holds great dreams for herself. That almost assures she will do well. But, this is still a land where we can have dreams and they can still be fulfilled. She will not be given anything without working for it. She already knows that. She is willing to work. She was willing to forego sleep this morning and pile out of bed to meet with me and the other Rotary codgers to put those flags out. Now, that may not mean anything to some of you, but, I guarantee that there were no other teens up doing that this morning, save Harley. I realize that is just a little thing. But, great deeds are accomplished by first doing the little things.
This is such a great land. On this day when we celebrate our declaration of independence in this nation, there will be scores of folks who feel the same as I do. Unfortunately, there are many who count it as just another day and see no specialness in it. Life has given many very little to promise a bright future. However, I have to think, that even the unfortunate among us still has a chance to be more than what he/she is today. In fact, if there is a place on this earth where that opportunity exists, it is here. Please forgive me for being so selfishly patriotic on this day. Forgive me for being so American. I realize that we Americans do not hold exclusive rights to freedom and opportunity. There are many other places where people can still excel and live good lives. But on this day, in this place, I celebrate our independence and wish the rest of the world well. As an American, we are painfully proud of the gift of freedom we have been given. It is my prayer that we never forget the price that has been paid for it. God bless you all.
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