• Today has been one of great reflection. While at the freedom parade, I commented on how over the years, the parade has lost some of it's magic to me. It no longer captivates me, awes me, surprises me. It's just another thing we do on July fourth. As are the fireworks. I remember as a kid running around in the back yard, awed by the exploding lights above my head. It really WAS magic to me. It was something I didn't understand and therefor deserved my attention. Today, looking at the fireworks, my initial responce was that of "ho hum, just another firework." But then, I got thinking.

    Standing on my deck, looking east, you can see about six fire work shows. Quite amazing if you ask me.

    Go upstairs to my parent's bedroom and you can see over a dozen shows that are close enough where you can see the individual explosions in each fire work. Look past those, and you can see over two dozen dotting the horizon. It's quite the show. And it got me thinking.

    Take a trip back in time with me. To the first Independance Day. There would have been HUGE celebration. We don't understand that today. The people had been under the rule of the British government against their will and they were not FINALLY free. Just pause for a second and think about that. Stop reading for a bit.

    When you read again, don't let the images go, keep them in your head. Remember them next time you go to the store and you get food for the next week. Some people can't even get food for the day they are living. Remember the celebration next time you go to vote, give your opinion in who our leaders should be. Remember the celebration next time you see a member of the military; be it marines, navy, army, or air force. They may not have directly fought in the war for our independance, but they are fighting to keep it that way. You may not agree that the war with Iraq is a good thing; you are entitled to that opinion, but the reason you can have that opinion is because of the men and women fighting in that war. So remember what the celebration of the Fourth of July is, it's a commodity many of us over look nowadays.