My Fourth of July festivities as
a kid occurred as a military musician’s daughter. In my fond recollections they were a picnic, patriotic
music and a laser show culminating with my dad directing the firing of canons
for the 1812 Overture and a fireworks show.
The salty, sweat-scented memories are watermelon red, gun smoke white and
uniform blue. I was proud. Of my dad.
Of my country. The Independence of America was imbedded with family
celebration that included the community around us: friends and strangers, living
and dead. Together, all these people
made my experience great.
Interdependence, a noun, is defined at dictionary.com as the
quality or condition of being interdependent, or mutually reliant on each
other.
The people who created the July 4th
event were connected from 1776 to present day. In the 20th century we sang along
with the show, “I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m
free. And I won’t forget the men who
died, who gave that right to me. I’ll gladly stand up next to you and defend her
still today.” Interdependence did not historically or presently detract from
freedom. Instead, I think it enriched/enriches
it. America’s forefathers fought so that
we might have a more perfect union knowing independence is not free nor easily
won but intended to allow a better life for the collective citizens of the new
nation they envisioned and its posterity.
Interdependence is rooted in the truth of our human connectedness,
the real and ever-present certainty that we thrive when we work, celebrate,
mourn and rejoice together. This requires
that each individual bring to the table the best they have to offer, whatever
it may be – the more varied the better! Independence should not be greedy,
lazy, hateful nor narrow-minded, but passionate, purposeful and compassionate.
This connection of self to others
in no way diminishes individuals nor undermines independence. It acknowledges that many hands make light
work or a band of skilled hunters often bring back more food than a lone huntsman
or a circle of quilters make a warm bed faster than someone stitching solo or
educating one person benefits all they contact and a single person’s prayers
can produce change.
To say a person should never
endeavor alone is too extreme, the greatness of individual generals, single
inventers, stunning orators, courageous writers bears merit. But, in order for one to rise, there must be multitudes
that bear arms under direction, accept new ideas, lend their ears, collect
their voices to sing and shout. We all
count. We all matter. We all have duty to ourselves and to each
other as independent but social creatures - people in a state of beneficial interdependence.
We are here to awaken from the illusion
of our separateness.
- Thich Nhat Hanh
- Thich Nhat Hanh
The whole idea of compassion is
based on a keen awareness
of the interdependence of all theses living beings which are all
part of one another and all involved in one another.
- Thomas Merton
of the interdependence of all theses living beings which are all
part of one another and all involved in one another.
- Thomas Merton
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