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Happy birthday, America!
Jul. 4th, 2004 09:18 pm
I don't know about the rest of you, but the 4th of July is my favorite holiday. I know ... there are no presents involved, no cute animals that represents it, no other country in the world celebrates it, and even those of us who do celebrate it don't really appreciate the full meaning of the day.
Still, there's something about it. Maybe it's because it falls in the summertime, and I love summer. Maybe it's because it means barbecues, and I love barbecues. And fireworks. Maybe it's because it's one of the least commercialized holidays around, because to commercialize it would be to make it even more corny than it already is, and being patriotic -- particularly in the USA, it seems -- is so gauche. Whatever the reason, I just love it.
This year it's hardly felt like a holiday at all, as I am not barbecuing, and I may or may not catch sight of some fireworks later on. But it doesn't matter; unlike a blah Christmas, I don't feel disappointed. It's July 4, yay! And anyway, I'm on the West Coast, so it doesn't really matter what I do; it won't top Independence Day on the East Coast. Or more specifically, Washington, D.C. I swear to God, if everyone spent July 4 in D.C., it'd be their favorite holiday, too. It's absolutely wonderful. Maybe I should make it a point to be in D.C. this time next year, getting baked alive by the sun and pushing through the sweaty throngs of people on the Mall. Sounds fabulous to me.
Being American is not always a rewarding thing. It's not always something to be proud of, as many non-Americans are fond of letting us know (loudly and frequently). It's a blessing and stigma, a curse and a hope. Well, today is a day I like to remind myself of the good things we're capable of as a country. To do that, I turn to Gordon Sinclair's Tribute to America. He wrote that tribute in 1973; quite a long time ago. I don't read it to look back and dwell on past accomplishments; I read it to remember that my country once garnered such staunch defense and praise from a member of another nation. I read it because it gives me hope that one day, we may earn that kind of respect again, by our words and by our deeds. It reminds me why I want to.
I love thee, country mine, warts and all. <333
( What color of the rainbow I am. Oh, as if it's any surprise that I'm RED. )
Still, there's something about it. Maybe it's because it falls in the summertime, and I love summer. Maybe it's because it means barbecues, and I love barbecues. And fireworks. Maybe it's because it's one of the least commercialized holidays around, because to commercialize it would be to make it even more corny than it already is, and being patriotic -- particularly in the USA, it seems -- is so gauche. Whatever the reason, I just love it.
This year it's hardly felt like a holiday at all, as I am not barbecuing, and I may or may not catch sight of some fireworks later on. But it doesn't matter; unlike a blah Christmas, I don't feel disappointed. It's July 4, yay! And anyway, I'm on the West Coast, so it doesn't really matter what I do; it won't top Independence Day on the East Coast. Or more specifically, Washington, D.C. I swear to God, if everyone spent July 4 in D.C., it'd be their favorite holiday, too. It's absolutely wonderful. Maybe I should make it a point to be in D.C. this time next year, getting baked alive by the sun and pushing through the sweaty throngs of people on the Mall. Sounds fabulous to me.
Being American is not always a rewarding thing. It's not always something to be proud of, as many non-Americans are fond of letting us know (loudly and frequently). It's a blessing and stigma, a curse and a hope. Well, today is a day I like to remind myself of the good things we're capable of as a country. To do that, I turn to Gordon Sinclair's Tribute to America. He wrote that tribute in 1973; quite a long time ago. I don't read it to look back and dwell on past accomplishments; I read it to remember that my country once garnered such staunch defense and praise from a member of another nation. I read it because it gives me hope that one day, we may earn that kind of respect again, by our words and by our deeds. It reminds me why I want to.
I love thee, country mine, warts and all. <333
( What color of the rainbow I am. Oh, as if it's any surprise that I'm RED. )
