If there’s any holiday with a time-tested set of traditions, July 4 would be it. Independence Day is a time for quintessential American traditions — think apple pie, cookouts, fireworks, everything red, white, and blue, and a sense of belonging that holds us together no matter what our differences.
And going to the lake.
At least, that’s at the top of the Brad Bennett July 4 list of traditions.
For years, time on the water, a barbecue, a little fishing, and of course, fireworks in the night sky, have been my favorite way to celebrate. I love the continuity, the familiar comfort, the relaxation. But this year, our nation’s 250th birthday, that’s not happening.
The Bennett family will be celebrating July 4 in Liberal, where a parade and events in the park start a day filled with local festivity. For one daughter in my household, the highlight will be a dance performance marked by red, white, and blue spangles and big smiles. That dance performance, in fact, is what stands between me and my boat.
That’s all right with me. I’m determined to be the most enthusiastic, proudest dad possible in the audience at Light Park this Saturday. Do I love my lake weekends? Of course. Do I love my wife and daughters more? Absolutely. Every day — including Independence Day.
I will admit it took some reflection for me to arrive in this positive mindset. This is only human. We all like our traditions, our comfort zone, the ease of things going along like they always have.
It was the ordinary people who endured eight years of war and disruption to solidify the nation whose birthday we will celebrate on Saturday. Ordinary people putting aside their personal preferences for tea, for peace and quiet, probably even the activities they most loved.
In fact, that was one of the biggest obstacles for the early Americans who started this whole venture that we call the United States of America. The Founding Fathers (and Mothers, who, I have been thinking, might have actually been the driving force behind many of the events we learn about) were not trying to “make history” or complete a giant political experiment. They were interested in creating better lives for their families.
To do that, they had to be willing to disrupt the systems that were in place, do something different, and put themselves in uncomfortable positions.
Making those kinds of changes takes motivation. In 1776, this came down to non-negotiables that touched everyday life. The revolutionaries cared about having enough food on the table. Excessive taxes levied by the English king made this harder than it ought to have been. They cared about their homes and their safety. Being forced to allow soldiers to move into their family homes was not acceptable. They wanted freedom to nurture friendships and share news and information. The British government’s interference disrupted these basic building blocks of community.
We hear a lot about the big-name heroes of the American Revolution — Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Crispus Attucks, George Washington, even Betsy Ross. It’s easy to forget that ordinary people outnumbered the headliners. It was the ordinary people who endured eight years of war and disruption to solidify the nation whose birthday we will celebrate on Saturday. Ordinary people putting aside their personal preferences for tea, for peace and quiet, probably even the activities they most loved. Any boat-related activity had to do with warfare, not fishing.
They weren’t doing it for their day jobs or the civic groups they belonged to, or even for their local leaders. They were doing it for their sons and daughters.
As Liberal celebrates Independence Days with special events, a Bee Jays game and fireworks on the campus of Seward County Community College, I will be right here in the thick of it. I will be an audience member for the performances in Light Park. I will be a proud father of my two daughters and their dedication to activities they are working to master. I’ll be a willing partner for my super-organized wife, who keeps track of our family schedule. And I’ll be a fill-in maintenance director at the college when the fireworks display kicks off, because sometimes, that’s part of what being president entails.
Most of all, I’ll be the most American I can possibly be — someone who is willing to do what it takes to care for the people who matter the most. I will enjoy every minute.
Happy Independence Day! Go Saints!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR — Brad Bennett is the president of Seward County Community College. He loves fishing, his boat, and his family — but not in that order! You can contact him at brad.bennett@sccc.edu.
Categories: Events, Opinion & Commentary, President's Blog
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