Skip to main content

Celebrate July 4th

In this episode – Celebrate July 4th . . .

How do you celebrate the 4th of July holiday? Maybe you hang an American flag on your house, barbecue burgers and hotdogs, have a beer, watch baseball on TV, or perhaps you're looking to get your community involved.

Our neighborhood has had many young families move in during the last five years. And many people walk the quiet streets of the community. So, this is one way to draw everyone together – of the people, for the people, who are out and about on the streets and sidewalks at different times - and to have a little fun.

Stay tuned, and I'll share a suggestion that our neighborhood makes to build cohesiveness and family spirit, which might inspire you to do the same.

First, the "Rest of the Story" about Independence Day is from constitutioncenter.org.

Have you ever wondered when the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in July 1776? Some say it was July 2nd, and some say July 4th. Which date has the legitimate claim on Independence Day?

If our second President, John Adams, could be transported to the future, he would say July 2nd. Other Founders would insist on July 4th, the day recognized as a federal holiday in the United States by our national government. And still, other Founders would say, "What Independence Day?" since the holiday wasn't widely celebrated until many Founders had passed away.

Here is evidence to help you decide which Independence Day is actually Independence Day!

Officially, the Continental Congress declared its freedom from Great Britain on July 2nd, 1776, when it voted to approve a resolution submitted by delegate Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, declaring "That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved."

John Adams thought July 2nd would be a national holiday for generations to come:

Adams wrote to his wife Abigale, "[Independence Day] will be the most memorable Epocha in the History of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated by succeeding Generations as a great anniversary Festival. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade with shows, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more."

After voting on independence on July 2nd, the Continental Congress needed to draft a document explaining the move to the public. A committee of five (John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson) proposed the document in draft form, and it took two days for Congress to agree on the edits.

Once Congress approved the Declaration of Independence document on July 4th, it ordered it to be sent to a printer named John Dunlap. About 200 copies of the "Dunlap Broadside" version of the document were printed, with John Hancock's name printed at the bottom. Today, 26 copies remain.

That is why the Declaration has the words "IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776" at its top, because that is the day the approved version was signed in Philadelphia.

Now you know the rest of the story!

Anyway, here's a tradition you can start in your neighborhood for those listeners who stuck around.

On Thursday, July 4, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., our neighbors will host the 5th Annual July 4th Neighborhood Parade! You will see colorful Red, White, and Blue printed flyers near your mailbox with the following.

Decorate bikes, trikes, strollers, or just walk!
Or, stand outside your house and cheer.
Hotdogs and Jumpy afterward.

Come on by and cheer on the kids. Happy Independence Day!

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. I'll see you in the next episode.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular of All Time

The Yellow Legal Pad

In this episode, the Art of Refiring July 1st is staring me in the face, less than two weeks away. For years, retirement seemed like something that happened to other people. Suddenly, it's on my calendar. I've been thinking a lot about the dreaded "R-word" lately. Not because I'm worried about having enough to do. Quite the opposite. What fascinates me is this strange paradox: Why does retirement make so many of us nervous, while having a job—even one that regularly drives us crazy—somehow feels comforting? Let's be honest. Most of us spend years complaining about meetings that should have been emails, reply-all disasters, impossible deadlines, and that one coworker who insists on microwaving leftover fish in the breakroom. Yet when the idea of walking away finally arrives, we hesitate. I think I've figured out why. A career isn't just a job. It's a highly structured coping mechanism. For forty-plus years, somebody else has basically decided what I...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Big Rip and the First Tee

The telescope (Celestron) sits quietly under its cover, temporarily blinded by Southern California's annual meteorological hostage situation – June Gloom. Somewhere above that thick gray ceiling, photons that began their journey before humans appeared are streaming across the cosmos, only to be intercepted by a marine layer that seems to have veto power over astronomy. Instead of observing the universe, I find myself imagining – The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) by physicist Katie Mack. According to modern cosmology, the universe may eventually end in a Big Rip, a Big Crunch, Heat Death, Vacuum Decay, or some other catastrophe that sounds suspiciously like a rejected heavy-metal album title. Astrophysicists spend their careers calmly discussing the possibility that reality itself could suddenly cease to exist because a quantum field had a bad day. It's a remarkable way to start a Saturday morning. One moment you're contemplating the ultimate fate of spacetime...
Post a Comment
Read more

Epictetus, Ego, and Acronyms

In this episode, Destroy Communication, One Three-Letter Acronym at a Time This week, I want to explore a deeply relatable, universally feared workplace character: the "know-it-all." Now, I’m not pointing fingers here. If we are being completely honest, we have all played this role. We've all uttered some version of, "Yes, absolutely, that aligns with our strategic objectives," while our internal monologue is screaming, "I don't even know what the objective is, let alone the strategy." What got me thinking about this was a chapter in Ryan Holiday's book, Wisdom Takes Work . Holiday leans on a powerful piece of Stoic truth from the ancient philosopher Epictetus: "It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows." It's a brilliant quote that strikes right at the heart of the human ego. You can't learn what you already know, and you certainly can't learn what you pretend to know to save face. Though to be ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Places You'll Go . . .

Well, the time has arrived. Yes, July's drawing near, And somehow I've managed to last seven years! I've analyzed forecasts and studied the trends, While spreadsheets multiplied without seeming to end. We've planned for the sunshine, the storms, and the load, while Mother Nature kept changing the code. But through all the numbers, the forecasts, and charts, the best part of Cenergy's always been hearts. The people beside me, year after year, Made even the toughest challenges clear. To the bright, talented folks reading this today, The future is yours now—you're well on your way. And unlike my era, here's the key: You’ll work with AI just as smooth as can be. The reports that took hours may take only minutes. The models you build with intelligence in it. The data will flow faster than ever before, While AI handles tasks that are mostly a bore! But here's my advice as I head out the door: Technology changes, but people matter more. AI can predict, calcula...
Post a Comment
Read more