Good Evening Everyone!
I hope you are enjoying a warm summer and all the outdoor activities that you can. By activities I am referring to being out on the water, grilling flesh on hot grates of grills, smores by camp fires, and being outdoors in general.
I wanted to take some time to reflect on Independence Day. Unfortunately, when I searched up for the history of this day, the first few things that come up are links to the Will Smith movie. Don’t get me wrong I am a fan of Will Smith dating back to his song “Summertime” with DJ Jazzy Jeff and was known as The Fresh Prince. It is just disappointing that our culture in America focuses more on what is next instead of why we have the opportunity to think about what is next. In some countries the common people do not get to make decision for their life and are selected as youth for their careers by governments. Some people do not have the opportunity to make it past a few years of life due to lack of food and water.
In America we celebrate the 4th of July every year with fireworks, days off from the grind, and hanging out with friends / family. This is all great, but why do we get to do all of this. Was it because the government decided simply that we should have a day off?
It is interesting when I read about how Independence Day arrived and that even the lack of support when some of the original colonies wanted to separate from Great Britain. Prior to that the Day was set up to celebrate the King George III’s birthday with bonfires and the ringing of bells. Then the first few celebrations after the Revolutionary War were kind of morbid with mock funerals held for the King. There was also some debate on if it should have been on July 2nd or on the 4th. We now know which date won out.
The thing that really sticks out to me is the fact that some individuals were willing to risk their lives for a cause and fought hard for that cause. If America would not have fought off Great Britain and many other battles, there would not be the democracy that we have today here. I am not going to get political on which party is right or anything. I want to focus on the fact that because of a cause people got behind it and fought for it. Much like some of us do when launching our own companies. Working hard for that cause to make life better. Let us not forget those that have fought and currently fight for our freedom’s that we have today.
Whether you believe in the battles or not we should make sure that we take time in America to remember and thank those that put their life on the line to protect our freedom to live how we want to. These individuals leave their friends and families and enter into some of the harshest environments to protect that freedom. Some also pay the ultimate sacrifice for that freedom with their lives. Just to point out that I have never served in our military and I am thankful for those that stand up and say yes, I will.
Maybe it is just me getting older which is why I sit back and reflect on these holidays more, or maybe it is because I am a father and am glad that our kids have this freedom. We can get all bent out of shape about how the military isn’t perfect, how war is not the answer, or any other aspect that is negative. I chose to write this and reflect of the freedom that I have and how thankful I am to have it.
So, this 4th of July when there are parades all over the country, ceremonies, BBQ’s, etc. let us be thankful for the freedom that we have and thank those that sacrifice for us. The ask that I have is that when you see a veteran or someone active in our military that we smile and thank them for their service. Heck why not offer to pay for a meal or an ice cream if they are in line behind us.
These people don’t do the service because of the pay. I can tell you that. They have a great “Why” and for me that is an awesome reason to thank them.
Have a happy and safe Independence Day everyone!
Sincerely,
Kevin Sidebottom
Sales and Leadership Enterprises