Independence Day Eve

Today is July 3rd. I may or may not post tomorrow since it is a holiday for me - the celebration of Independence Day for my crazy, happy, and wonderful nation of the United States. Now...I fully admit that there are lots of problems with this nation. Politics appears to be totally broken and non-functional right now. The income gap between those living on the edge and those who never have to worry about anything monetary is widening. We are working too hard for too little. But we are kind hearted, generous, loving and the first to be there with a hand up also. Every nation in the world has people who are bad and who are good, but when the chips are down, I'm proud to be a citizen of the US.

I love the flag of the US - colorful, beautiful pattern, flying proudly.

I wasn't born in this country, so I am a naturalized citizen. I was sworn in as a child, never having to take the examination for citizenship that other immigrants have to take, but my parents were extremely proud and apparently I was a cute tyke because the judge running the show took me up and placed me on his lap for the ceremony. I could have had a much different life, and feel incredibly lucky to have had the life I was given. I hope that I have positively impacted people who have come into contact with me because spreading the joy is a great goal. Of course, I have a stubborn streak and, when pushed to the wall, can be acerbic and even mean. I'm human, not perfect.

The Eternal Peace Monument at Gettysburg features a lighted top that is visible from twenty miles away.

Divisions happen, between people and between nations. On this date, during the American Civil War, Pickett made his famous charge on the battlefield of Gettysburg. He led 12,500 Confederate troops up the hill to assault Union troops sheltering behind a low, stone wall. In this one battle, over half of his forces were killed. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. That war divided our nation. Yet we were able to rise above it, reunite our nation, and through discussion and policy, we emerged stronger than ever. This can happen on smaller scale between groups of people, or even between individual aggressors. I urge you to focus on peace for the next 48 hours and see if you can make a positive impact on this world today.