how to celebrate a holiday

the thought has crossed my mind about the diversity of ways in which people celebrate holidays. of course, america's independance day is tomorrow, so i'm sure that's the prompter of such wonderings.
as i contemplate the usual trappings of this particular holiday, i'm just not sure what they have to do with celebrating or understanding (or promoting) our independance. i'm not coming down on our national traditions. i just can't see what fireworks have to do with the land of the free and home of the dollar value menu.
perhaps it is to remind us of rockets and red glares. i could believe in that theory. but, sadly the war on terror reminds me more often of the price that has been paid and is being paid and will continue to be paid. i don't need combustable chemicals to do that. they are pretty to watch. i guess that justifies the 900 million dollars ($900,000,000.00) that americans spent last year on fireworks.
i could do similiar sarcasm with other holiday feats: picnics, parades, etc.
i freely confess that i am a product of america--land of the free and home of the homeless (check america's stats on homelessness and you'll be thankful for your run-down shack). but, because we've been free for so long, we really don't have a point of reference of not having freedom. sure, we watch the news, we hear stories from visiting missionaries, we see pictures of various places around the globe. but, we've never experienced a lack of freedom. i confess this is who i am. i am often unappreciative because i know no different. i am so blessed but don't know it.
ever take breathing for granted? probably every single one you take is taken for granted (until you don't have one to take).
ever take food for granted? well, when in a contest based on taking food, we'll certainly win. then, we'll take seconds, and thirds and we'll most likely win the miss congeni-gluttony award as well.
maybe i'm waisting your blog reading time. maybe i'm just full of hot air. maybe i'm right.
as with all my blogging, it is simply my thoughts, placed before you, for my own benefit of putting them down on paper (or pixels--whatever!).
but, it seems to me that more than ever, hoopla is not what we need.