Oh, Say Can You See?

Happy Birthday, America!

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

... this is what I will be singing, as off-key as I do, when two friends who I have mentored and who passed their citizenship test are sworn in to become U.S. citizens today. I am so very proud of them, their hard work and accomplishments, and what this day truly means. And nowhere could be a more fitting setting than at Ft. McHenry, which protected Baltimore harbor from British attack in the War of 1812. The "rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air" about which Francis Scott Key wrote were set off from ships in this harbor, and form some of the words which serve as lyrics to our National Anthem.

Yeah, I get kinda patriotic, but that's what Independence Day is all about.

Aside: Today is Independence Day! The fourth of July is only a date on which our country's independence is formally celebrated, but in reading history, we could easily have selected July 2 (the date when Congress approved the resolution of Independence) or August 2 (the date when most delegates signed the Declaration of Independence).

After the patriotic and moving swearing-in ceremony, I will bid my friends adios. They plan to stay in Baltimore and tour Ft. McHenry and enjoy the sights of the city. I'll hop on my Harley and ride to my brother's for a Maryland crab feast. Ahhh... that's what this day is all about. Citizenship, family, fun, and crabs! Woo-hoo!

Life is short: share your joy!