Happy birthday, America!

[sarea]

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





Which of the Lords of Rainbow do you serve?

www.LordsOfRainbow.com

Werail

He is the Tilirreh of Red.
Werail symbolizes War and Intensity, and is the fierce Lord of Action. Red is lust, desire, passion, hunger, the Will. It is also faith, determination, and courage and the ability to struggle against all odds.

If you have a Werail-guided personality then you are an ardent believer in going after your dreams and actualizing your beliefs. Not afraid of conflict, you are relentless and obstinate, strong and indomitable, brave and brazen. Confident in yourself — and as a result hellishly attractive, awe-inspiring, or terrifying — you can and often do achieve anything you set out to do, be it matters of the flesh or matters of the spirit.

Your strength of will and drive, your unshakable faith, when exercised without restraint or reason, can become your only weakness. Always remember that getting what you want is only half of the goal, and the other half is figuring out precisely what it is that you really want and whether you truly need it in the first place — therefore stop to think, feel, and wonder before you act.

Remember also that loose intricate bonds can be the hardest to sever, so if you want to hold on to something then you must first learn to let go of it without regrets and without looking back.

Warriors and soldiers, police and enforcers of the law, explorers, zealot believers and missionaries, builders, pioneers, collectors, seekers of sensual pleasure or intensity of pain, berserkers and those who engage in extreme sports are often guided and driven by the intense light of Werail.

But don't feel overwhelmed. Without Werail's intensity it would be a boring and bland world and an apathetic existence. Possibly there would not be an existence at all, because it is Werail who creates attraction and movement which is at the core of all life. And while Dersenne opens doors of possibility, and Fiadolmle engenders change, Werail actually mounts the passionate expedition to get you there.

More so than all the other Tilirr Personalities, you set an example of strength and courage through your actions. For you have fathomed the Red Mystery of Werail that desire is not merely an aimless urge but the full enactment of duty.

As well you should, since as a role model for the rest of us you get things done, and in the process you conquer the world.

** Heehee, conquerer of the world, that's me. And hellishly attractive, of course.

Comments

[jade-okelani.livejournal.com]

You're so red. I know I've always thought of you as my zealot, berserker sister, Sarea.

I feel pretty much the same about America. As fucked as we are, we are still better than everywhere else, and I think that gets lost sometimes with everyone hating us with a (valid) fiery passion.

I know we'll be restored to our former glory; America is cyclical; we build ourselves up, our heads get too big, then something happens, and we tear ourselves down. I just hope it happens while we're still young enough to enjoy it. *g*

[akscully.livejournal.com]

Hellishly attractive, emphasis on the hellishly.

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Because it is our nation's birthday, I am going to take the high road and not respond to your typically Blue lack of respect toward your superiors.

[akscully.livejournal.com]

I am merely doling out cold absolute facts. Or something.

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

This thing says I'm blue. Not sure yet what I think of that.

[secondshelfnote.livejournal.com]

Hi, this is rather random but I've been playing with the little googlism thing and one of the results made me think of you: draco is mean and yet has to have innocent ginny.