#libertyandjusticeforallyall

I've only been to NYC twice.

The first was in the 6th grade for a GE field trip.  I wore capri pants, tennis shoes, hard rock cafe tee shirts, decided I wanted to be a Radio City Rockette, and used a disposable camera.  Classic.

The second time was senior year of high school, and my two fellow dance captains and I went and performed with about 47 zillion other dancers and cheerleaders in the Macy's Parade.  

Think: Giant mob of squealing, pink power ranger, cheerleader barbie girls...

Yes, I did keep that awesome blue puffy jacket.

While I am pretty sure I wouldn't want to ever live there, I love New York City. 

It's so pretty to me, which I realize might not be the case if I were the one trudging through the rain and snow to work all winter...

Anyway, obviously we all know what today is (besides hump day...).

I've seen and done every touristy thing you can see and do in NYC, but they were gone before I was able to see them. The towers, I mean.  

They were still in the process of constructing the new memorial when we went for Thanksgiving senior year.  

I've heard how beautiful it is, though, and am dying to go see it.

Thing is, no matter how large or glorious or expensive the memorial is, it doesn't make up for anything. Not saying that's what anyone is trying to do at all! I was just thinking about it this morning...

There were mommies and daddies, brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters, grandpas and grandmas who went to work one morning and never came home.  

That's more than just a bummer. 

In complete honesty, I do love American history, but I'd rather watch grass grow than CSPAN, I only catch the news once in a while, I usually scroll past political Facebook rants, I mean statuses, and have never in my life wanted to be the President.  If there's something I do get interested in, I will research it and form my opinion. I can sing both the preamble and about how a law is made though!

But I was a third grader, y'all.  I knew nothing about the national debt, military policies, or legislation. I knew who the President was, who Christopher Columbus was, and that on July 4th you shoot fireworks and eat a ton of watermelon.

You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know what was up that day, and most of us can remember exactly where we were and what we were doing the morning it happened.  

We live in basically the coolest country EVER.  Seriously.  And even though we never can seem to agree on (many, many, many) issues, it's still our country. There are men and women fighting for it and what it stands for everyday. When I was in China two summers ago we were working alongside people from all over the world, and one night the members of each country got up and sang their national anthem.  Kid you not, there were more than a couple of people crying when we Americans finished singing, and it definitely wasn't because we sounded good.  More than just Americans know how cool America is.  

So, if at some point today in the midst of all the paperwork, football practice, grocery shopping, paper writing, diaper changing, and bill paying you get a free minute, take it and really be thankful for this "sweet land of liberty" we are so blessed to be a part of.  

It really is a pretty awesome place to live.