Independence Day Above the Clouds

On the Fourth of July I donned red, white, and blue. My 'roommates' and I had a picnic on my bed. I watched fireworks. It was a relaxing and subdued affair...

But on the fifth of July, Zach, Marit, and I traversed to Woodland Park for the Symphony Above the Clouds celebration...

Zach scouted out our seats for us, and then went off exploring. Pretty soon he came back to tell us that he had found the canons for the 1812 Overture. So we stumped off to see them...

When we came back to our blanket, who had planted themselves next to us in that vast array of people? None other than most of the Myers family!

While they ate their supper, we took turns reading from The Old Squire's Farm, a story called 'An Embarrassing 4th of July'. 

Then we all decided to go look at the canons and move our blankets by the stage next to them, so we could see them when they fired later on. One of the servicemen was kind enough to explain how the canons worked, and even took one apart so we could see how it loaded. The canons were last used in WWII, and each would have been pulled by four mules.

 We listened to Celtic music as the sun went down, its final rays illuminating Pikes Peak in a gentle golden-orange light. 

Then came the orchestra, to play all sorts of Patriotic ensembles and some modern music (from Frozen and Star Wars to the Beatles and the Music Man). This is us listening to the symphony (yes, Marit made that awesome-sauce Lego necklace - she makes earrings, too):

In vain have I attempted to upload the video of the canons firing during a practise run... Alas, I cannot get it to work. Know that it was ear-splitting and grand. 

I may have been dressed for Independence Day on the fourth, but I felt American–and proud to be so–on the fifth. Being with the Myers family (and Zach and Marit, who are like siblings), reading an old-fashioned story, the smell of hotdogs on the grill, the sound of children running 'round, the sulphur scent of the canons, and the sinking golden sun–all surrounded by patriotic music and fireworks–felt like home.

~ Johanna

The Tyranny of Indulgence

"Having the power to indulge your whims can be very dangerous... It borders on tyranny."

~ Robert Timmons (Larkrise to Candleford)

On Monday we will swear in our current president for four more years. Perhaps the leadership of our country (democrats and republicans alike) would do well to learn the above. For their whim has become banning guns until only criminals and the government have them. Their fancy to make an indolent, apathetic culture by punishing hard workers and rewarding the lazy. And their notion has long been to withdraw our freedom of speech. Tyranny has been lurking 'round the corner for some time, what will we do to stop it?

Tyranny skulks about our own souls and selves before it affects a whole country. When we begin to think we deserve good things, merit salvation, have a right to an education  – or any particular good, we must beware. The disease of entitlement has infected us. When we complain rather than give thanks, we become slaves to discontentment. When we are undisciplined in body, habits, mind, and worship, yet still expect a reward, we have every reason to hear, 'Depart from me, I never knew you.'

I speak these things to myself as much as anyone else. If we allow ourselves to be undisciplined, or apathetic, or to believe we are entitled to things, we will be not only under the thumb of our flesh, we will be ensnared more easily by the tyranny of corrupt authorities. What will we do to halt tyrants? Will we pledge our fourtunes, our sacred honour, and our lives to what is right - even if it is not easy?

“They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger?

Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?

Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power.”

~ Patrick Henry, 1775 (emphasis mine)