Five Things To Do Today On My 33rd Birthday

"Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little piece of temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin

On this July 4th, 2022 day, I turn 33 years of age.

Yes, I am a "firecracker baby," as my grandfather once so elegantly put it.

In debate of what to write about today, I felt the need to remind all of us that whether we hail from a background of great founders or if we merely suffice from their cruel grasp, we are a united nation, despite the events that have befallen us.

I have told this story before, and I will tell it once more before I continue:

Where We Began With Rebellion

In 1787, our country had just formed.

Well, sort of. In fact, it is insinuated that our nation in those days was still until control of Britain, meaning there is a weird back-and-forth between historians who attach themselves like snails on the backs of lies of "who said what."

But anyway, Franklin stepped out of Independence Hall after the drafting of the Constitution and a woman approached him on the street. Worried about the state of the nation, confused about the meaning of all of this, she asked a simple question: to Mr. Franklin: "Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?"

And so Franklin replied with a smile:

"A republic, madam, if you can keep it."

What Am I Getting At?

Now, what did he mean by that, and what am I getting at on this tiresome day of barbecues, resilience as a United States entity, and cheer? Well, simply said: we have wandered into a situation where it seems as if we are losing sight of ourselves, as people.

I am not preaching politics here, but I am saying that this is my birthday, and though you may read this with tiresome eyes, I would like to remind you of a few subtle things we need to remember today in this day-and-age, as COVID dwindles and Russia and Ukraine rage on. We need to realize we have choices to make, and those choices are based on freedom.

I Am Patriotic, But Not Really

Now, I was always a person of patriotic thinking.

.. I recall playing "Call Of Duty" back when it first came out around the age of fourteen.

I recall because that was the age that I lost my virginity, and I recall "claiming my territory" (like the Founding Fathers). I was always fascinated by the quotes listed from Napoleon Bonaparte, Franklin, and other war-bound figures, and it always reminded me that for as long as we have existed on this great earth, life has not always been fun.

In fact, life can suck sometimes.

Today, I Turn Thirty-Three...

Today marks the 246th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence .

As someone who celebrates his birthday on the fourth of July every year, as fireworks crackle overhead and the nation celebrates the dawn of...well, me, I always find myself thinking about all of the good I have done in my life, and often, just like all of us from time to time, the bad and harm I have caused. I have left lecture halls speechless, but I have also left best friends behind in the trenches. I have overcome boundaries, but I still find them. I have always had a great support system, but I have not provided support for others.

So, For Today...

Recall the liberties we have as a free nation. Recall The Boston Tea Party and our liberation from tyranny. Recall the deviance of wars raging on in Russia and Ukraine, and how this has not fallen upon our own shores. Recall that we beat COVID-19, but yet we still worry about Trump's next term. We have to remind ourselves today, on this great holiday representing freedom and the dynamic human spirit that refused to submit, that we have more than we think. In fact, we have something not many have: freedom...

What I Have Learned

Though it may not be your birthday today, recall the freedom you have as a person. Whether you live in the United States, the United Kingdom (sorry about the Boston Tea Party on my behalf), India, or elsewhere, make note that history is bound to repeat itself, and that leaves many of us frightened, confused, and worried.

Will the pandemic ever stop?

Will gas prices ever go down?

Will I still have a job tomorrow?

Mind you, these worries betray us. We have to take today (whether you celebrate it or not) with a grain of salt, conditioned and lathered in deceit and betrayal, to remind ourselves that we all have the right to freedom. In fact, we deserve it.

Freedom Is Not Free

Freedom is not a free ride, I am here to tell you. But remember that this is where we live, and we all have an insatiable need (rather, a request from my on my birthday to you) to feel that we belong, to feel that we matter, and to feel that we have what others do not. It took 246 years for this nation to become free . In fact, it took longer than that.

We need to remember something rather subtle: democracy is a choice, and we have to abide by the rules of society, even today in a world filled with violence, guns in schools, a virus we still all seem to be wary about (and with good reason), and a war raging on overseas. In fact, we have to take a moment to do some good.

So, as my birthday present from you to me, I want you to do the following:

One: Thank A Military Veteran

I mean it.

Whether you believe in this mentality or not, do me a favor today: thank someone who serves/served us. Thank a police officer, despite the distinct failures of their current department. Remember, they are not all bad.

As there are 18.2 military veterans currently alive today, thank one of them.

Search your social media profiles, and thank them for their service. Despite the conjecture, they are keeping you safe, and they - are - people, just like you and I. We all seem to have this convoluted mechanism in us that prevents the failsafe of society, and we ignore those who need to be thanked. Whether you agree with them or not, thank them.

Thank a military veteran and you may just save their lives.

If that does not get the juices flowing, take this to heart: 6,000 or so military veterans take their lives each year, and though war may not be within your ideology, if you thank them for their service, it is something that might keep them going one more day.

Do that for me.

Two: Thank Your Family

Thank those who have taken the time to raise you; to make you unique or special; to make you "you." In fact, I decided today to thank some former educators of mine. I have made contact with many of them, and yes, as anecdotal as it may seem, I still talk to my elementary teachers. That counts as family to me.

If not an educator, thank your mom; thank your dad; thank your wife; thank your children. For me, for today, thank someone who needs to be thanked. We all live on this same green-and-blue star called "earth," and we only have a select amount of time with those around us (meaning if you do not pass before they do, they will pass while you are needing them most). Take a moment to thank them for what good they have given you.

Three: Believe In Society

Society is loosely defined as anything that keeps you within a firm construct.

My society is Kendall, Florida, where I live and reside.

In fact, I was born and raised in this house, and yes, I still live with my parents (judge me, I really do not mind!). Now, when we all decide to touch upon the subject of "thanking society" or "believing in society," a lot will read these words and wonder the following, and one out of every three people I meet will do so:

"What has society ever done for me? I hate my life."

First of all, shut up. Your life is great, whether you believe it is or not.

You have food, water, shelter, and freedom to do whatever you desire.

If you missed an educational opportunity, you can go back to school; if you missed a job interview, you can do everything within your God-given power to ruse that and amend it (like our Founding Fathers did when they added Amendments).

If you cannot do something about it, then perhaps you are merely not looking hard enough. Do not complain today. Take a day (just a day) to believe in the dynamic human spirit that refuses to submit, and believe in life.

"Man was formed for society and is neither capable of living alone, nor has the courage to do it" - William Blackstone

Take today to remind yourselves of the good in life, and also, to reflect on the bad.

We all have sins that need ethereal venting, and we all have problems. But this is where we live, right? Do we not all belong to the same planet? Do we all not bleed when pricked by the silver tip of an American flag? Do we all feel pain? Well, except for that guy who gets kicked in the crotch (seriously, click the link and watch the video), we are all human.

Except the guy in that above video, who is something else!

Four: Do Something Nice

Give a homeless man a twenty-dollar bill; salute a soldier; rejoice at sanctuary. Do something good for someone else for once. A lot of people may take offense to the thought that we are all being told by this strange guy on LinkedIn to thank cops and veterans, to salute the flag, blah blah blah...well, you have to give me my birthday wish, right?

So, just find something nice to accomplish, and make sure it benefits you and the other person, as well. As Phoebe on "Friends" once said: "There is no selfless good deed." In fact, I live by that thought because it is very, very true. When we give to someone else, we feel good about ourselves. When we shine a light guiding a ship to shore, we just saved a life.

In other words, do something nice for someone else, and it will return by tenfold.

Five: Believe In Humanity

Last but not least, on this 246th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration Of Independence, believe in human nature. As said in Jurassic Park (sorry, lots of quotes!):

"We not only lack dominion over nature...we are subordinate to it."

What I take from this quote may be different than, say, what you feel from it. I personally believe that it represents a sense of human nature. We have cloned sheep, yet we cannot get our minds off of rising gas prices; we have genetically defeated diseases, yet we worry about the next "bad thing" that is to come, waiting around the corner for us.

For today, just believe.

That is what today represents to me, and I will leave you here with one last quote, as I head off to celebrate my birthday with my family and friends...

Freedom is not a choice, but a gift. Use it wisely..

And happy birthday to me...

www.Circle5Books.com for writing help

www.ValianceCoaching.org for personal help