Independence Day

These days, I see an American flag and think of the lives destroyed by a war based on lies. I think of the word "patriotism" and hear it spilling from the mouths of deceitful, hateful warmongers on a deadly agenda. I hesitate to wear red, white and blue today because the first thought in my head is, "I wouldn't want to do anything to make people think I might be showing support for an administration worthy of war-crimes tribunals and impeachment trials."

Then I remember: hey, it's my country just as much as it is theirs. This is a country that allows us freedom of speech, allows me to have my career as a writer. This is a country that offers us hope and prosperity and possibility, no matter where we started -- and more increasingly, no matter our ethnic heritage or skin color or gender or sexual orientation.

It's not perfect. But it's worthy of celebration and honor. And I won't allow anyone to steal away my invitation to the party. I'm proud to be an American, not because of our military might or our capitalist greed or our old boy networking. I'm proud to be an American because I can choose to separate myself from that and strive for change.

Happy 4th. Stay safe. Love your neighbor. Even the stubborn, misguided ones. We're all ingredients, sharing space in the melting pot.

Comments

Tom Myler (scoodog) said…

Great reflection, Amy! I agree -- when it comes to our country, the glass is both half-full and half-empty. It just used to be a little more full before so much power-hungry corruption set in.

9:28 PM

Hair

This has become the age-old question...Why do men hate short hair on women? I've been thinking about this a lot because my current style, an angled bob, requires a bunch of fussing every morning to get it to do anything. My favorite haircut of all time, as far as ease of care, was my pixie cut. I loved that I could wash it, gel it, and be done. No blow drying or flattening or curling. Just gel and go. Very sporty. I thought it looked cute. My husband has another opinion. The longer the better is his motto. Thing is, my hair becomes an unruly, tangled, nappy mop when it gets long. If I had all the time in the world and Jennifer Aniston's budget, I'd be more than happy to grow it long and have others style it every day. In real life, I guess I'd rather go for comfort and convenience. And if you ask me, I think the pixie is dang cute. I suspect heterosexual men aren't hot on short hair, in general, because it's too much like their own hair. No matter how much jewel

Holy Separated-At-Birth, Batman!

Gary Oldman...meet Uncle Knit-Knots from Imagination Movers.

Looking Forward

I just discovered this blog was still around (and miraculously, I remembered the password). I think I might kick the tires and take it out for a spin. Our world has been in lockdown for a year, suffering a pandemic that has killed nearly 550,000 in the United States and 2.7 million globally. We've worn masks, maintained physical distance of at least 6 feet from others, washed and sanitized our hands, worked and schooled from home, dealt with (of all things) a toilet paper shortage, and given up most of our favorite activities (restaurant dining, movie theaters, live performances, family gatherings, and so on). We've endured people's stupidity, ignorance, racism, xenophobia, selfishness, indifference. We've also celebrated the "essential worker," those who put their lives at risk to make ours safer: grocery store employees, delivery drivers, healthcare professionals, educators ... all those whose jobs help ensure continuity of our country's infrastructure

WanderingAmylessly 2.0

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