On Children & Independence

Last night, just before bed I wandered into the kitchen & found the counter covered in spilled instant breakfast powder. Initially, I felt deeply annoyed since I spend so much of my time struggling against the Tide of Mess. But then I looked again, heart defrosting -- was that an Earth symbol carefully penned in the grains of milk by a deft little fingertip? Yes. Yes it was. My concern for Mess dissolved as I marveled at this clever imp's culinary glyph. A coded message left for a kitchen explorer to discover.

Today is Independence Day & we took advantage of our freedoms as fortunate citizens of this good country. Inspired by a child, we took our free selves to a free & open public beach to exercise our freedom of speech by drawing Earth symbols in the Cook Inlet mud flats. Perhaps an odd choice of pastime, when other Americans are at home nursing beer bottles around the bar-b-que, but a very gratifying one. With so many harebrained American politics & scandals, it is easy to overlook the precious liberty our homeland affords us. Freedom of religion. Freedom of speech. I am very, very thankful. Thankful that, without risk of prosecution or persecution, we may trace symbols in the sand. Miles & miles of symbols, if we had the inclination. Thank you America.