Independence Day

Freedom Week continues.

Shortly before we moved to Germany I was able to actually use one of the oldest jokes in the book on my kids. We were discussing holidays in Germany.

"Do they have Christmas?"

"Of course"

"Easter?"

"Yes indeed"

"The Fourth of July?"

"No... they go right from the third to the fifth."

Without hesitation, and I was able to remain straight-faced throughout my delivery, and even as they retaliated.

All of which serves as introduction to this bit from Diggs (who's somewhere in the Middle East) - another must read as Freedom Week continues.

Read the whole thing. I don't think I'll spoil it by repeating his conclusion:

Take some pictures of your town's fireworks and send them to a soldier you know over here from your town. Let them know that back home, people still ooh and ahh when something blows up in the sky, and the kids wait happily in anticipation of the next one.

It's a great memory to get back in its proper place.

I'll do that, and I'll also photoblog whatever show I see. And I'll invite anyone who's willing to send me shots of fireworks wherever they are and I'll post those too. (Just include a mention of location.) And any fellow bloggers who want to do their own post will get a link here too. We'll put on a blogospheric fireworks display for the world.

And if you want to do more for the troops - the wounded in Landstuhl from Afghanistan and Iraq, be sure to visit Soldier's Angels (and bloggers: add a link on your Independence Day post).

Incidentally I've seen American Independence Day fireworks on three continents and perhaps six states - I'm likely a fair judge of such - and the show we saw in Germany last year was spectacular.

But it will be good to see the sparks fly in the good ol' USA this time.

Update: Let's expand this - not just fireworks, but whatever you are doing this Independence Day weekend, blog it. We'll swap links, and if you don't have a blog or can't post photos, send them here (greyhawk-at-mudvillegazette-dot-com and greyhawk-at-europe-dot-com please use both). Even the things you might find boring will provide a "taste of home" (or a glimpse of real America) to folks over seas, troops and others. Leave a comment (include blog url if you have one) here if you'll participate. We'll create a big interlinked "day in the life" of America for all the world to see.

Here's an example: kids at picnics. Who doesn't love that?