Mr 4th of July

Reflections on America’s 250th Fourth of July

Oh, what a wonderful time of the year! And this year marks our **250th anniversary**... WOW!!!! God Bless America!

A Beautiful Memory: "Mr. 4th of July"

I can't help but think back to when I was ten years old and we had a parade master. For some reason, the title **"Mr. 4th of July"** popped into my head, and I just started giggling. I spent almost the entire day doing all sorts of silly jumps and rollovers! My mom tried to calm me down, but she just couldn’t stop laughing at me. It is such a beautiful, fond memory, and I am certain I will have another wonderful moment this 4th!

With so many events happening, I’ll definitely find a great spot to sit back and watch the fireworks.

Understanding Our History

I am always incredibly grateful for this holiday because it’s amazing how hard we fought to win our independence from Britain. It’s important to remember that the leaders of the revolution were much wealthier than the general public. Back then, many ordinary people were considered "commoners"—some had even been jailed just for stealing food to survive. (In contrast, when the French later fought for their freedom, it was driven by absolute, crushing poverty.)

Our Founding Fathers put together a brilliant plan to ensure our country wouldn't be controlled by an oppressive upper class that left people starving. Oh, how I wish more people understood the history of our early years and the true *why* behind the movement!

Leaders like George Washington or Thomas Jefferson had the power and influence to become kings, but that was never their intention. Today, some people worry we have a king in place, but I don't see our citizens starving for bread. Between churches, family shelters, and everyday people who generously open their pockets to feed the poor, there is always help.

The Dignity of All Our Work

There are so many jobs available today, especially what we traditionally call "blue-collar" work. As a past engineer, I have never looked down on any level of employment. Why? Think about it—we are all human. We all have the same bodily functions, we all get sick, and we all put our pants on one leg at a time!

A person's worth is not defined by the clothes they wear or the color of their skin.

We are the **UNITED STATES OF AMERICA**!!!

Pride for our Journey

Hearing visitors walk around with their cameras, talking about our country, fills me with immense pride. We aren’t perfect, but we have so much beauty, so many opportunities, and endless options. You just have to take the bull by the horns and go after it!

**Happy Fourth of July!**

Tap into that little girl or boy inside of you, and take pride in the fact that we've built all of this in just 250 years—which is such a short time in history.

Laugh. Drink. Play. Be merry, and join your heart with all of our people!