Independence

With the fourth of July coming up, I've been thinking a lot about the meaning of the word independence.
During the Revolutionary War, America was often compared to a child that had outgrown its Mother England.
It's really a good comparison.
When adults tell you to be independent, they're talking about doing more chores and getting a minimum wage job at some burger place. Yes, financial independence is important. You need it if you plan to live on your own someday. But the American Revolution wasn't a polite, "Hello, Mother England. You know how we've been supplying you with raw goods and a market for your products? Turns out, we can manage on our own. Oh, and those taxes? They're actually hurting us economically. So we'll just be our own country now. Thanks for the help."
No, it was more along the lines of, "We don't want your tea! We don't want your taxes! Get off our land before we shoot you."
This Independence Day, be thankful for your liberty and celebrate your personal independence. You're not just a teenager, your an American teenager, and that's something to be proud of. We have a proud heritage. Our country is far from perfect but it's one of the most free in the world.
We've been called "the next generation". They say the future is in our hands. That's wrong. It's our world now, and we have the power to shape it.
So stand up for yourself. Stand up for your passion. Leave this world better than you found it. It doesn't matter that the adults of today and yesterday have dragged your country into debt and dysfunction. We have a proud legacy and it's our right to keep it going.

I posted this song last year and don't see why I shouldn't do it again. Happy Birthday, America!