Sling it!

 

Independence day – July 4, 1776.

Marks a time in history when men and women before us risked every inch of who they were for a vision that was bigger than their own personal future and family legacy. They woke up in fear every day not knowing if it was their last. They worked through the shadows behind closed doors, placed themselves and their family in the hands of their neighbor, stranger, and friend while they worked to establish a foundation for future generations to pursuit their own life goals. They gave us the freedom to choose who we are and how we live without the fear of death. They provided the ability to have our own set of beliefs without the fear of incarceration, public humiliation, or death. And they made it possible for us to wake up each and every day and go after what makes us happy.

 

Freedom is not free. There was a large initial cost and that growing cost is maintained daily with the interactions of our enemies and allies. It is a cost that many of us are greatly aware of which is why we stand for our beliefs to keep our freedoms in place against some of our very own who have grown up overly privileged and cannot connect with the everyday Joe or just forgot where they came from. There will always be a conflict of how to interpret our current laws and even our future ones. The key along the journey is to remember that we are on the same team so we stand fortified in solidarity against other countries who try and take that from us or create deceit within our nations structure to cast that out. Most of all we must remember the past.

 

Remember why it started and teach your children to do the same. This nation was built on our for-fathers backbone to rise up against a country that was much bigger and more efficient than we were at the time. We said no when we learned we would be taxed more than they would. We said no when they wanted us to surrender our weapons. And we said no when they used force to make us fall in line. Many people have died along the way ensuring our Nation’s Freedom. And yes sometimes we feel completely stupid watching a fellow American upload a post that goes viral across the world where they are screaming for change they don’t understand, standing in the middle of the street getting run over because they couldn’t think of a better way to draw people to their cause, or throwing a temper tantrum because the team or person they were backing didn’t win. We may be divided on some of our beliefs but we need to stay united when we address the world.

Freedom is not free.

Happy 4^th of July.

 

Bring it!

Sling it!

Happy Daddy Day to all the fathers out there who carry that flag. This goes out to you Mr. full time working dad with 2 jobs or more. Your time is limited but you are doing everything you can to provide for your children. They will understand that when they are older.

To you too Mr. step-dad, who has taken on someone else’s child and has been raising them as your own. You may not even be with the mother anymore and you are still trying to give that child the stability of having a father. This includes those step-dads where the mom is trying to phase the step-dad out because it’s crimping her style.

Happy papa’s day to you Mr. enlisted service man. So many dads are oversees right now. And every small chance they get, they pull out that photo they carry of their child and loved one. And they stare at it remembering those tiny moments they shared when they were back home.

Happy dad’s day to you Mr. married man. You go to work, get home, help support your wife, and make those Kodak moments in time playing and teaching your child as they grow.

Happy father’s day to you Mr. single dad who really is doing it alone. You are in the 9% of the population of men who fill a very important role. The custody hearing courts are generally biased to the mom and the men that fall in the 9% were with a woman who really screwed up her life, her child’s life, or both which is the main reason the judge gave you the best opportunity of your life. Don’t screw it up.

And happy daddy’s day to you Mr. ex-boyfriend who is fighting to stay in your child’s life while the mother is trying to remove you from theirs because they are finally getting child support and want to go out and not feel bad about it.

Enjoy today. This is the one day you do get to enjoy. To all you sperm donors who walked out on your kid, go kick rocks. You’re a waste on this place. At least on this space.

Bring it!

Sling It! 

 

Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, is always a time-honored celebration. Your neighbors are breaking out the grill. Our National Flag is being displayed proudly along the business streets and residential homes. And we get to see all those cute little girls in pigtails running around with those adorable little boys in the parks across America eating up hotdogs and gobbling up chips. It’s the perfect American picture celebrated on the last Monday each May.

 

And it is Awesome!

 

I have to ask you something. Are we celebrating Memorial Day? Or are we simply celebrating on a day that happens to fall on a national recognized holiday? For so many people, this day isn’t a celebration but more of a painful reminder. A reminder of someone they loved. And the painful reminder of the person they lost. If you ever have a chance, pass by a National Cemetery on this day or your local cemetery. You will see grieving widows, crying mothers, pain stricken siblings, and fathers with heavy cases of allergy induced moments. If you have the honor of getting to talk to any of these individuals you will witness them beam with pride when they talk about their family member who enlisted and how they served our country to help make it what it is today.

 

Take some time out of your picnics, BBQ’s, and social gatherings to share with your kids facts about WWI, WW2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Iraq War, or any war we have been a part of and how it has shaped our nation and the daily freedoms we enjoy because of those great men and women. And while you are giving your “Thank you for your service” handouts, remember to thank the parents and significant others for their family members that didn’t make it home for their service and contributions. They have a harder and more painful understanding of what this national recognized holiday really signifies.

 

Have A Great Memorial Day!

 

Bring It!