Guys can be stupid. Add explosives to the equation and the idiocy quotient increases exponentially. Such was the case every 4th of July during High school. A group of about 20 guys would get together to BBQ and play with illegal fireworks. At any unsuspected moment while taking a bite out of a burger, an M-80 could be lit under your seat, a sparkler thrown at your bare chest like a dart, or a mortar could be shot like a bazooka, catching bushes on fire.
Then, there was the “bottle rocket game.” Us guys would stand in a circle with our arms locked in a tight circle. Following this precise formation, the bottle rocket was lit and dropped in the middle of the circle. Adrenaline pumping and terrified adolescents jumping, we’d pray like heck that the flying explosive wouldn’t impact and explode on our legs… and yes, some jeans did catch on fire. These chaotically stupid memories simultaneously serve as some of the most fun I can recall experiencing. So, for me, Independence Day equals fun.
However, there’s a deeper reality to which this holiday points. Only about three years ago did I realize that in celebrating Independence Day I’m also glorifying the pagan roots on which this nation was founded: an unjust war. [Read more...]
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