July 4th

I love the 4th of July. A lot. It seems to scream, 'Summer is here. Celebrate. Light sparklers. Squeal a little. Breathe in the smell of summer air, of grass and sprinklers and marigolds. Pull out a quilt and swat away  mosquitos. Share potato chips and m&m's with the neighbors. Ooooh and Aaaah. Lean in a little closer to Grandma. Watch your daughters eyes light up. Hear the flag rippling in the breeze. Summer is here. Enjoy.'
There is just something about the 4th that gets me sentimental. I love the time of year, the casual, lazy life we get to lead. The bike rides and trips to the pool. Sleeping in and watching cartoons. Otter pops in the freezer and cold green grass between my toes. And the 4th seems to welcome it all in. Here is your summer, now seize it. Grab hold. And we do. Summer is magical.

But it's not the only reason I love the 4th of July. I'm a sentimental shmuck when it comes to anything patriotic. Truly. Just looking at an American flag can bring tears to my eyes. Listening to Lee Greenwood does it to me every time. I love this country of ours. I love the vision that our founding fathers had. I marvel at the courage it took to make that vision come to life. And the courage it still takes. Part of that sentimental streak comes from my dad. He was 18 years old when he left his little town in Richland, Washington and hopped on a plane headed for Vietnam. He enlisted as a marine when his draft number was so low there was no other choice. Marines got the best training. And he would need it. His stories are few. At least the ones he will tell. Bits and pieces come out every now and then, mostly in casual conversation, when his guard is down. They go something like this. "You could never turn your back. Always on your guard, a sort of dull apphrehension sitting in the back of your throat, waiting. Waiting for a harmless slip. So you waited and watched until you couldn't wait anymore. And then you did anyway. I had to go to the bathroom that day. That meant making my way back to the bunker. A big hole we had dug into the dirt so when our back was turned someone else was watching it for us. Only this time it turned out it was the Viet Cong watching. As I stepped in a grenade blew. That was all I remember. The next thing I knew they were zipping me up in a body bag as I came to." And then he stops. It's too much, too revealing. He still hates the smell of garlic and flinches when a helicopter flies overhead. Over 40 years later. And he is still a marine. He is fiercely loyal, patriotic, and proud. Proud to have fought for our country, for the vision those men had so many years ago. He still believes in it. And I do too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-9_fDEsv-Q
Artist: Lee Greenwood

Song: Proud To Be An American

If tomorrow all the things were gone,
I’d worked for all my life.
And I had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.

I’d thank my lucky stars,
to be livin here today.
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota,
to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea.

From Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart,
and its time we stand and say.

That I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

And I’m proud to be and American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.