My thoughts on Independence Day (not the movie)

As an army wife this day brings many emotions to the forefront. Note all of these thoughts are ramblings are mine and mine alone. I don’t take an opinion poll before I write, I just write.

Fireworks, they weren’t the first explosives over our flag.

Independence is freedom. Freedom is never free, as we can lose it before the reality sinks in.

The meaning of the day is somewhat lost in the sales and cookouts. This day is supposed to remind us of why we can speak our mind. No don’t cancel the cookout, just add some history to it. Grab a smart phone and read some history about the day before the burgers are served. Have the kids draw pictures of flags from our past. All I am saying dont forget why you have this day off.

Now what this day means to me. It’s bitter sweet, as I think of the freedom I have which brings to mind those who had the courage to swim against the tide to give me my freedom. Our founding fathers broke with Great Britain at great personal risk, they gathered to change this land forever. They swore allegiance by promising their lives, fortunes and sacred honor.

This was a time when a persons word was their bond, and their reputation depended on them keeping their word. So go ahead and cookout, just do something to make others aware of why this day is much more than cookouts and fireworks.

The Declaration of Independence is an amazing document, take a moment to read it. Ponder this piece of our great history.

I will raise a glass to our founding fathers on this day as I do every year.

The sounds of Freedom

Tonight I sat with my injured right leg up as my husband David, watched his alma mater play in the college world series. Yep, he had a beer in hand. The game was momentarily drowned out by the sounds of helicopters flying overhead. This was preceded by artillery training.

I have heard that some people living on base complain about the sounds caused by night time training exercises, I never have. To me just like the sounds of baseball coming from the TV they are the sounds of freedom. David made the choice to join the Army, I made the choice to marry him. We then chose to live on base, so I see no reason to complain about the sounds of freedom.

I for one smile when I hear a drone overheard, or helicopters roaring about. Even our cats have adjusted, they have both grown up hearing artillery fire from training, and helicopters. I call them army cats. I completely understand that the military, especially here at Fort Bragg, needs to be ready to operate in any and all conditions, not just daylight.

So let my windows rattle, and try to drown out my tv shows.  I will still smile about being part of the Army Family.

Yes I still write when the artillery booms in the distance, and think about my plot as the helicopters thunder overhead. Sometimes the noises break loose plot bunnies and cause them to hop about giving me plenty of ideas. Now if I could just keep those army cats of mine off the keyboard I might get more writing done.

(Please note plot bunnies are what I call ideas, we don’t own, nor do we want any real bunnies.)