July 4th

How do you celebrate a place as diverse as America? What do you do to celebrate a concept as big as "freedom"?? I guess that's what makes July 4th so special to us all, we can celebrate America's independence day any way we see fit. Fireworks are probably the most popular way and for good reason. Painting on the night sky with fire and light is a poetry unlike any other. This year I was lucky enough to see our nation's largest fireworks display explode above our nation's largest city. But I also celebrated in a much less traditional way.

Macy's Fireworks Spectacular

I'm concerned that our nation is becoming too polarized. It seems to be getting easier to isolate ourselves from any differing opinions and convince ourselves that we are always right and that the opposing factions are always wrong. If you're a conservative you can watch Fox News, listen to Rush Limbuagh, and talk with your conservative friends. Or if you're a liberal you can watch MSNBC, listen to NPR and chat with your liberal friends. And you never, ever have to hear that you might be wrong.But we're all wrong sometimes, we're only human. This nation was founded on diversity and we need others to challenge us and share with us their different points of view. Or else we shall become divided and fall. This July 4th I felt it was important to spend at least a little time around people with differing viewpoints. So in addition to fireworks, I also went to an independence day "teaparty", which was a conservative political rally. I don't agree with most of what was said at the rally, but I was filled with a sense of unity and pride in the freedom of expression this great nation affords us all. If America has just one lesson to teach us, it's that we should not shy away from diversity but rather embrace it, for diversity makes us all better. United we Stand, divided we fall. So we all better embrace diversity and learn to talk with (and even learn from) people we disagree with or there is great trouble ahead.

Washington, D.C.

Washington stands out from other cities like Shaquille O'Neal at an Oompa-loompa audition. It is tattooed with the past. Washington bleeds patriotic symbols. It is a city where mothers cover their children with the American flag to drive away the cold.Giant Lincolns not only sit on thrones overlooking the National Mall from memorials, but they ride through the city on bikes striking inspiration into the hearts of all who see him. In other cities our presidents and national monuments cover our money, but in Washington they are there along the streets and walking amoung us.Monuments seem rise to from the ground in Washington like grass rises in other cities. Perhaps most surprising, the best sights in the city are free. The Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonian Museums, the National Zoo, The Capitol, even a ride to the top of the Washington Monument are all free.

World's Tallest Obelisk

Like many others before me, I went to Washington a citizen of the Union and I left a patriot. I highly recommend that everyone take a pilgrimage to DC sometime in their lives. I spent a day walking along the national mall, and I cannot wait to return to this beautiful city.