A Walking Contradiction

I agree with you. Fourth of July is my favorite holiday too, and it has very little to do with patriotism. In my mind, the Fourth is the holiday with the least family expectations. It's not big enough for that. And after years of holiday's ruled by "if you don't spend Christmas with me it means you don't love me" type statements, it was nice to have a holiday were nobody cared with whom I spent the day. Plus, I adore fireworks. And picnics.

I think of myself as patriotic, but it really has more to do with the respect I feel for my grandpa who fought in WWII. I mean, I like our country and all, but I'm REALLY proud of our veterans and I always get teary when I think of what they've been through. Whereas I'm not always proud of what our country does. So maybe the patriotism I feel on the 4th of July is really a feeling of overwhelming gratitude to our vets, and when I see them waving their American flags, it makes me want to wave one, too.

Of course, this might have more to do with that unnatural attachment I have to old people that my husband always tells me about. Maybe it's because my grandparents lived across the country from me?

I kind of feel the same way as Katie about the 4th of July. I guess it's because I come from a family in which most of the men (and a few of the women) have served in the military, so there's this sense of gratitude for the fact that my relatives fought for their freedom and mine, etc. I mean, I can trace my lineage to before the American Revolution. And on the 4th of July, all that "bombs bursting in air" stuff really gets to me.

I also have written lots of stories about veterans, and I guess I just really appreciate them. These are people who know what they believe in and care about and are willing to die to defend it.