No Fireworks this 4th of July - No Problem!

It's July 4th weekend in the year 2011, the year of a record drought in Texas. Fireworks have been banned in San Antonio and in most of the counties in the Hill Country. Getting mellow, grilling, fooling around with friends and family, and setting off pyrotechnics...all this would certainly create a few more wildfires!

The fireworks ban is OK with me. I'm entitled to my eccentricities, and one of them is that I could care less about fireworks. Would you like to know why? The story...

But I do enjoy affirming America's independence. I've lived abroad four times, and I don't take living in a "free country" for granted at all. My most memorable Fourth of July took place 35 years ago in London, where I celebrated the American Bicentennial. The story...

If you're taking time off to celebrate America's independence, I hope you have a great time! If you meet any veterans, be sure to express your gratitude. And take care not to start any wildfires! And oh yeah, watch out for the crazies...

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2011. Building Personal Strength . (Permission to use photo purchased from gotolia.net)