Liberty Postings

As we celebrate our nation’s 234th birthday, I thought I would settle in with an ice cold American beer and share some things about our amazing country that give me goosebumps, send a “thrill up my leg” (h/t — Chris Matthews), shoot a chill up my spine, or bring me to tears every time.

1. ” . . . we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” — The inspiring piece of art that is the Declaration of Independence gets me from beginning to end, but it is that last line that always makes me emotional.  The men who signed this treasonous document were not kidding.  They were willing to risk death for the ideals of liberty and equality.  Then, for these men and others from all thirteen colonies to grab their guns and their desire to be free and, with no training, take on the most powerful military in the world and win . . . yep, there’s the goosebumps.

2. Whitney Houston singing “The Star Spangled Banner” — If Whitney Houston’s performance at the 1991 Super Bowl does not get your heart racing, I think you need a medical examination.  I loved it as a teenager when she first performed the song and I will never forget blasting it from my car while tears streamed down my face as I drove through the streets of D.C. on September 14, 2001.

3. The Iwo Jima Memorial — Every time I drove or walked by that imposing statue, I think my heart stopped for just a second.  For the longest time, I was even afraid to visit the statue at night.  Not because I was frightened by the figures that comprised the 78-foot tall statue, but because I was so overwhelmed by its strong presence.  I remember the first time I walked up to the statue after dark, with the floodlights casting a glow over the soldiers determined to plant our flag.  I sat down and cried.  That memorial is a great symbol of the bravery of our fighting men and women and the amazing strength of the American spirit.

4. Road trips — I have had the opportunity to travel through many parts of our country, and I love the diversity of our natural landscape.  It is difficult to think of a more spectacular sight than October in New England.  The flat desert and tall cacti that dominate much of the Southwest look so different than the sunflowers and wheat fields in Kansas, which bear little resemblance to the majestic Rocky Mountains. Every corner of our land is fascinating to discover.

5. The Passengers of Flight 93 — These men and women were just trying to get to a business meeting or visit a family member.  Armed only with hot coffee, food carts, and cell phones, they took it upon themselves to stop the hijackers from reaching their intended target.  I cannot even begin to imagine what is was like on that plane.  For those passengers to make the decision to do what they could, knowing that they were going to die in their efforts, exhibits an example of heroism that I will make sure my children know and understand.

6. “Hey, dad . . . wanna have a catch?” — I experience my “ugly cry” (as Oprah calls it) every time I reach that scene in Field of Dreams.  That is a great American movie.  The struggle of a father and son who have very different ideas about what it means to live the American dream, the beauty and perfection that is baseball on a summer afternoon, the innocence that can still exist on a farm in Iowa — it is a classic story for our country.  Even Kevin Costner’s acting could not diminish how much I love this movie.

7. Drums — Whether it is accompanied by a fife as it leads our soldiers into battle, serves as the backbone of a Sousa march at a local parade, or is the heart of a college marching band, a good strong drum beat gets my heart racing.  These drums are strong, they are unrelenting, and they carry a message.  The steady beat carries us forward into facing our enemies and greeting our allies.  It helps us to declare our victories and mourn our losses.  Drums are brash and have a way of saying, “We want to make sure you know we are here!”