Saturday musings before the 4th

It's a long weekend due to the 4th of July. I admit that I often do not think about the Holiday so much as the fact that I just get time off work with my friends to party. This is much the same as Memorial Day and Labor Day. However, since Sepetember 11th and the subsequent War in Iraq, my ponderings regarding these magical "days off" has increased. More then anything I think about the fact that people die for these Holidays to be created. People that were brave or not, people who wanted to "do the right thing" by defending their Country, fighting for Freedom or simply were trying to generate money to realize their dreams of going to school, having a family, or raising themselves out of socio-economic straits.

I'm not so into partying when I think about the personal losses other's have suffered so that I did not have to work 1 extra day a year. As Americans, I don't think we publicize or teach the reasons we have National Holidays enough. As a school child, I don't remember thanking a service person for fighting for me in the Persian Gulf, Korea, or Vietnam. As an adult, I must remind myself to look at each and every soldier's face from Iraq and think to myself; this is someone's son or daughter, Mother or Father, this someone's friend, confidant, true love, and it becomes personal.