Happy Independence Day this Fourth of July

/ July 4, 2016
My dear wife's touch.

My dear wife’s touch.

Happy Independence Day from the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood.

I ran out from the side porch of the Little Bitty this morning clutching my iPad Air 2, expecting and hoping to take a shot of Good Neighbor Tim’s American Flag fluttering from his pole planted on his front lawn next door. Not up yet.

OK.

I see the side porch flowers carefully arranged by my dear wife Karen for this special American holiday, her gardening shoes kicked off after watering the lawn yesterday.

Blue house, white trim, red burning bush.

Blue house, white trim, red burning bush.

I see our cherished Little Bitty against the vivid blue sky, holding our love and hope and dreams not just this day, but every day of our lives.

I feel honored to wish you all a happy Fourth of July.

Enjoy the day. May you feel the love of friends and family.

And now, an aside regarding my Facebook friend who lectured me for my salutation wishing friends well wishes for the Fourth of July Weekend attached to my post about the National Guard storefront of Saturday.

He was offended by the use of this date-based phrase instead of Independence Day, saying it robbed the holiday of its original intent and tribute to those who set this country up to deliver our freedom.

He was on a soapbox on my Facebook page, lecturing me as if I were a schoolboy.

I responded with a simple “And yet I posted about the National Guard,” not wishing to argue about the matter on Facebook. I don’t wish to scream and yell here, either, but rather to simply point out that I do, indeed, know why we celebrate this day. I think the phrases have become interchangeable. Point of fact: On my markbialczak.com Facebook page, I wished all a Happy Independence Day Weekend. I don’t think calling the holiday the Fourth of July or July Fourth robs it of significance. These phrases have become tied to all that the holiday means, at least for those who do care.

What are your plans for today? What do you call the holiday? Do you think calling it the Fourth of July takes away from its meaning?

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33 thoughts on “Happy Independence Day this Fourth of July”

  4. I love your title and the flowers and the point you made. I don’t think it diminishes the holiday at all to call it one or the other. To me, they are used interchangeably as well. We celebrate our independence on the 4th each year, not a moving date. Doesn’t take anything away from all of the people who gave it their all to help us gain our independence. Ah, well, it’s hard to make everyone happy all the time. Hope it was a good one.)

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  11. Thank you for your good wishes. And call the holiday what you wish. Wishing you blue skies, white clouds and red flowers. Just returned to Florida in our house with headlights where I saw preparatory bunting in NY, PA, MD, VA, TN, GA and everywhere here in very colorful Florida. Enjoy.

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  12. For a few years I refrained from saying, Independence Day because of that dumb movie about the martians (oh, well, I guess I was entertained by it). And now there’s a damn sequel! Oh well. One nice thing about the 4th of July is that it didn’t get made into a Monday holiday. Hope your weekend is grand.

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