7/3/2022 Holiday Round Up: Independence Day

It’s been a bumpy year for America. Political differences have resulted in heated deadlocks & mass divisiveness; COVID has wounded the economy; school shootings have rocked small towns’ sense of safety & eroded trust; comedy lost legends Bob Saget & Gilbert Gottfried, & music lost Taylor Hawkins & Meatloaf. Between astronomical gas prices, formula shortages, harmful rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community (who are waiting with bated breath to see if their marriage rights will be revoked) & the ongoing aggression in Ukraine, Americans are struggling to find the light. Many feel that we should forego our independence celebrations, not just because fireworks are triggering for veterans & pets alike, not to mention detrimental to the environment, but also because there is an increasing sentiment of feeling like an outsider, of sensing that you don’t belong unless you’re in a niche majority. Many Americans don’t identify with Congress.

Good.

Because we aren’t Congress. We are so much better.

The men & women in Congress have lost sight of what it truly means to be American. They haven’t struggled with rent & insane workweeks; they haven’t personally watched the stock market vanquish their retirement; they don’t send their kids to public schools & they don’t work in retail or blue-collar industries. They don’t know what accountability means. They don’t know the value of a promise.

I want to offer a different perspective.

America isn’t its elected officials. America is – & always has been – the incredible, dynamic, brilliant, hard-working, humble, loving, loyal, & honest people that eke out a living from sea to shining sea. Some of them are your family, friends, coworkers, & doctors. Some of them are folks you honk at in traffic. All of them want what you want – privacy, decency, opportunity.

You can be unhappy – even outraged – about the laws & overturned precedents of late. God knows, I am. You can – & should – be vocal about it. You can have fears for the future, doubts, & questions.

But don’t define the entire country by what few have wrought. Look for the helpers. Look for the fighters. Look for the experts, the scientists, the professors, the religious leaders, preaching messages of peace & defending rights that are being subjugated.

We are so incredibly blessed to live in a country where we can express these thoughts without censorship. Where we can loudly disagree without being jailed. Where we can vote & our elections aren’t predetermined. Where there are different houses of worship in each town. In America, there are always good people doing the right thing, even if it seems like they are few & far between. In America, there are neighbors who alert each other on Nextdoor when they see something suspicious. In America, there are mothers who create formula swap groups on Facebook. In America, there are businesses that only employ veterans, that provide designated parking spots for expectant mothers, that hold school spirit nights for extracurriculars, & more.

Even in my hometown, thousands of dollars were raised in a few short hours for a firefighter injured on the job.

There is much to be dissatisfied with, whether you are looking or not. But there is also much to be proud of. I promise that if you glance around you & you actively LOOK for good people & kind gestures, you will find them. Everywhere.

So, while I am sad, hurt, heavy-hearted, & anxious about the state of things, I must remind myself that these freedoms are precious, that brave men & women sacrifice their lives to ensure them, that our forefathers toiled to create a nation more perfect & equitable than what they had experienced, & that we can – & will – do the same. Together.

Every generation has an obligation to leave behind policies & physical landscapes in better condition than they received them. These are setbacks & setbacks do not define us. The way we came together after 9/11; the way we always offer help to those in need even when we’re hurting, too; the way we lose ourselves in the most charming, ridiculous traditions (anyone else gonna watch Joey Chestnut defend his title at the annual Hot Dog Eating Contest?); the way we open up our wallets, our pantries, our homes after natural disasters.

The comic below is taken from the time of the Paris Attacks & shooting of Charlie Hebdo headquarters:

It gives me chills every time. America isn’t Miss Congeniality. She isn’t the class pet or even the peacemaker, at times. But America is definitely who I would want on my side in my darkest moments. So I will not abandon her in hers.

This next story is as American as apple pie.

Picture Book 1

Title: The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Illustrator: Christopher Bing

Recommended for: Grades 4-6

Basic plot: This is an interpretation of the famous Longfellow poem & an unusual look at an American hero. Paul Reverse is a silversmith most famous for alerting the colonists of potential British invasion, right before the Battles of Lexington & Concord. Though Revere never made it to Concord & historians debate the full significance of his intelligence contribution, his bravery, fortitude, & dedication to the cause of liberty cannot be denied.

Why I love it: Everything is so painstakingly rendered. There are maps, foldouts, coins & letter seals juxtaposed alongside the text, brilliant blue-dark night skies, & even a miscellany of facts & resources at the end. Plus, the author looks like Nicolas Cage, so…that’s entertaining. Maybe he’ll next write a book about the Declaration of Independence (or steal it?)

Where can you find it? Amazon, eBay, AbeBooks (cheapest $3.98 & up, used).

Extension activity: It may be fun to reenact the famous ride. Set up obstacles & a pathway in your house or backyard, make a horse out of broomsticks & clothing as padding, & let your imagination take off!

I also think, for older ages, it would prove enlightening to imagine Paul Revere had access to a cellphone. Have your kiddo write out the text he would compose – using colonial language & not giving away anything too bluntly to avoid interception by spies.

Thanks for tuning in! Keep the pages turning until we meet again.

Love,

Sash