What does the Fourth of July mean to you? More than fireworks and barbecues? Is Independence Day more than a day of independence from work and an excuse to party??

For all Americans out in the great wide yonder, when it comes to the Fourth of July -- Independence Day -- what comes to mind? This isn't a quiz, your answers won't be shared on news stations or in the newspaper. They won't even be shared with your friends, loved ones or coworkers. It's you and me baby so drop the act. What does July 4 honestly mean to you.
Not as in ... lemme have a minute to gather my thoughts and prepare an answer. I mean how do you celebrate, what thoughts go through your mind during the weekend festivities.
The 1996 hit movie starring Will Smith and lovely one-liners by Randy Quaid like "All right, you alien assholes! In the words of my generation -- up yours!" Fireworks. Parties and barbecues. Beer, booze and baseball. Family reunions. Swimming pools, parades and carnivals. At least one day off from work and the chance to get off from more work than that anyway since a holiday slows down work productivity a few days in advance. Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest -- the record is 68. Overeating, how American. Barf-o-rama.
Slowly a sound started to build in Lardass' stomach. A strange and scary sound, like a log truck coming at you at a 100 miles-an-hour. Suddenly, Lardass opened his mouth, and before Bill Travis knew it ...
Maybe throw in an American flag and some patriotic music. Politicians will show the voting public just how American they are by hosting speeches or, as with President Barack Obama, hosting members of the military and their families at the White House.
With common knowledge of history, you know Independence Day in the United States celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 (well ... let's hope you know this). Americans celebrate independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.
In a letter to his wife, John Adams wrote:
"I am apt to believe that (Independence Day) will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."
Although we still do most of these things, it's become more about the celebration and less about the reason for celebration -- also see Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day. We are the home of the free because of the brave but to celebrate the birth of America, and those who give (and have given) up so much to protect us, we become single-minded. We become jaded. We are detached. How can we understand what it is to be American when there are so many different types of Americans, such a melting pot? America is the dumping ground of the world. America is the worlds leftovers.
It's not as simple as trying to remember why we are celebrating, it's not as simple as that because, yeah, you could spend the entire day watching the History Channel and shows such as "How the States Got Their Shapes" or TCM's lineup of "1776" and "America, America," but it's hard to empathize. We are so far removed from the American Revolution, from the days of "Don't Tread on Me." We have wars going on but don't know what's happening, don't know what we are fighting for because we are fighting the wars of others.
It's hard to understand how free we are in the United States in comparison to other countries because we don't live there, we don't know what it's like to be without freedom. We are too busy being annoyed, being outraged with raising gas and food prices, red and blue politics, and other bullshit. 
So, instead, be grateful you are alive. Be grateful for what you have, even if you don't think you are happy, even if you don't think it's good enough. Even if you want to be somewhere else or with someone else. Be grateful to just be, whatever that means.