Freedom's Not Cool

Now that I am an adult and not so excited about sweating and being in the heat, the Fourth of July doesn't exactly ring my bells. I am embarrassed to admit that even though I love fireworks, hot dogs and America, I would really prefer to stay inside with air conditioning and a fan blowing on me. Or even better, float around in a swimming pool. No grilling obligations, whatsoever. Since we don't have a swimming pool (yet), I'm left with the sloth's solution to the holiday. This year, our wind ensemble had two concerts, one on the Third and one before the Carrollton parade, on the Fourth. Both involved sunshine, walls of heat, numerous hours, and blowing hot wind through musical instruments. After these commitments were fulfilled, our family went home mid-day and passed out, nursing lemonade and fresh fruit to rehydrate ourselves. 

I was still trying to avoid celebrating this broiling hot holiday. The heat index said 103 degrees at one point. But one of our sons called later, inviting us to come over and grill. The operative persuasion was that he was the one grilling. All I had to do was bring some meat, show up and pat out burgers. After our blissful afternoon siesta, my husband, daughter and I (and the dog) packed up and headed out to Rockmart. On a whim, I began pulling up patriotic songs on my phone and downloading them to the car speakers. Elvis started singing  Dixie about the time we rambled through Villa Rica. In the thirty minutes it took to get to our son's house, we also heard Allen Jackson, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Lee Greenwood's take on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I had been crabby, crotchety and ill all weekend, completely missing what this fateful July 4th day means to our country. And to me. Parades, concerts, fireworks, crowds of people, heat, policemen everywhere....all lined up to make mention of what has been bought with the dearest price -- rejection, blood, death. All for the notion of freedom and a free country, unbound by the fetters of an oppressive government. 

We pulled up to my son's house; the sprinkler was running in the front yard. Granddaughter Maddie jumped off the stairs into my arms and we ran through the water over and over until we were soaked, grass sticking to our soggy skin. I remembered what it felt to be a child, to be free from so many obligations and worries... running through a sprinkler with your clothes on, just because. Holding that precious child in my arms and laughing with her, I prayed that God would have mercy on her generation (and ours)...that in these coming years we would not find ourselves more and more fettered by government or allow fear to overrun our good sense and imprison us, just to keep "safe." Lee Greenwood's admonishment to stand up means we stop, get our butts off our chairs, and come to attention. Freedom is a gift, but it doesn't come free. It can't be neglected or it will erode. Recall, treasure, revive the good, and leave behind the bad. We need to wake up! God bless America.