This is the morning after our nation's "birthday" - July 5th. I was reflecting on the previous days activities and my mind wandered to the general state of holiday celebrations nowadays.
I know there are a lot of flags flown, red-white-and-blue bunting, playing of Lee Greenwood's song, and such; but I am not sure how much people really realize what the 4th of July is about. The only one that seems to really "win" in all this is Lee Greenwood (I guess that's his name - "I'm Proud to be an American...") because he probably gets more in royalties the week of July 4th than he does the rest of the year! Now I'm not the type to dress up as Uncle Sam and wave the flag at passing cars (more likely to dress my dog up as Uncle Sam and moon the passing cars, but I digress), but I think July 4th, like most "patriotic-type" holidays (Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, etc) are pretty much a day off from work for most. Now, I understand that to a point, it's human nature; but, it just seems a bit more fake and hollow every year. I guess part of it (maybe more than I care to admit) is just me getting old.
I find myself getting even more curmudgeon-ly as I get older. I guess your trip is different when there is more of life in the rear-view mirror than out the windshield. Merriam-Webster defines curmudgeon as "a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man" , and I am definitely that more and more these days. I was never a great holiday person, but it was always comforting knowing that on certain days of the year we the people shared a common theme and purpose. Now, it is about getting a video on You Tube or just taking a day off work. The day off has always been a big part of any national holiday, but I don't remember it as being "the" reason for celebration. I don't know where I am going any more with this, I lost it when I started on the getting old stuff.
Hey, the line about the rear-view mirror was good - it just flowed. So, I accomplished something. And, there were never any lizards, just looking for weird Google searches. On that note, "Squirrels with chainsaws" brings up 160,000 posts - but my blog is on the top! (at least when I search it!)
Later
If you are truly pressed for time, just read the bold, italicized, and underlined sentences. That won't take you long at all! Another year has passed and if you are reading this, a new one is getting ready to start (or has started) for you. New Year’s celebrations are a time for reflection on what has happened and also a chance to start anew. New Year’s resolutions are a manifestation of this. Weight loss plans, gym proprietors, exercise equipment makers, and others know this. If you have watched any TV, gone online, or read any magazines or newspapers you know that the people that make their living selling and signing people up for those things are hitting it hard. We like new beginnings and the chance to reset and set new goals. Losing weight, stopping smoking, cut back or stopping drinking, and other things a lot of folks see as improvement are at the forefront of our collective thoughts and efforts this time of year. Although not a real advocate of New Year’s resolutions, I
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