This weekend the United States celebrates its declaration of independence from Great Britain, made in 1776. An event that is, as all historical events are, a mix of hopefulness, exclusion, ethnocentrism, positivity and harm, progress and potential. We acknowledge this mix with humility and dedication to rise to the promises made. We can also focus … Continue reading The thing about independence
Independence Day
Independence day and hope
As we in the U.S. celebrated the anniversary of adopting the Declaration of Independence from the government of King George III of Great Britain, I read these words from David Cole, national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. They resonated with the original "just causes" listed in the Declaration, and they resonated with … Continue reading Independence day and hope
Independence from…
My tradition for July 4 is to declare independence from something important. Not that the British Empire isn't important... oh, wait, right. It's not an Empire any longer, is it. (No offense, Brit friends - it's more that our world doesn't really need that whole Imperial jazz, you know, we seem to get along better without it.) … Continue reading Independence from…
Independence Celebrations
My annual ritual on Independence Day (July 4 here in the US) is to celebrate independence from something meaningful. Past years I tried spending a day being independent from worry, from judging others, and from clinging to expectations. (For last year's piece on my No Expectations holiday, click here.) As I've been promoting You, Jane … Continue reading Independence Celebrations
Unexpected Delights: A report on Independence from Expectations Day
As I posted here on July 4, I've a habit of celebrating independence from something a bit more meaningful to me than the overthrow of our British friends. Past years, I've tried independence from fear, for example, or from judgment. This year I felt myself dreading one or two events set for July 4. So … Continue reading Unexpected Delights: A report on Independence from Expectations Day
Happy Independence Day
Today, spend twenty-four hours celebrating your independence from something meaningful. I'm choosing expectations. I'm going to attempt to spend an entire day free of them. Maybe there's something to this Zen thing? Enjoy the day!
Gremlins 0, Music 1
The Fourth of July in the United States is “Independence Day.” So it’s a nice ironic joke to find oneself attacked by the gremlins of loneliness on that day. (They taunt us, convince us we are doomed to be alone, forgotten, left out, unwanted, now and forever, amen. (There are also Gremlins who whisper and … Continue reading Gremlins 0, Music 1
Elizabeth Fountain, Author 