Drivel Over Coffee #268 7/7/2015

“Without music, life would be a mistake.”
Friedrich Nietzsche

Happy post 4th of July. Before the 4th of July glow evaporates completely here is something to remember….

Patriotism and the Declaration of Independence

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well-educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts and died in rags. Thomas McKean was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Rutledge and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember: freedom is never free! We thank these early patriots, as well as those patriots now fighting to KEEP our freedom! I hope you will show your support by sending this to as many people as you can, please. It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin and the Fourth of July has more MEANING to it than beer, fireworks, HOT DOGS, and picnics...

Do you remember getting ready for your class reunion? Probably more so years ago, but I remember doing a starvation diet and doubling my workouts trying to look as buff as possible. Planned my wardrobe to accentuate the positive and downplay those attributes that were not as flattering. I had always wanted to roll up to the event properly late so everyone could see the neat vehicle I was driving. Now be honest did any of you ever do some of those things?

Our class hasn't had a reunion in a while. Feeling that this one coming up in August would most likely be my last, I wanted to go all out. One thing and another have prevented the changing of the physic so I am left with the cool automobile. Here I am pondering my choices when one of my classmates posts a picture of their new quarter of million dollar sports car. Well, so much for the cool wheels. I am now faced with going as me. What you see is what you get. I suppose for many of the class mates that will be shocking enough.

Here Are 15 Ways To Tell If You Grew Up In Small Town Iowa

Your prom was a red carpet ordeal. Kids showed up in limos and the whole town was there to take pictures.

You can name everyone in your graduating class, and why not? You’ve known them all since preschool!

You perfected your finger wave at an early age.

And getting stuck behind a tractor was a perfectly good excuse for being late to school.

High school football was a big deal. Every Friday night, the entire town crowded onto the bleachers to show their support.

Your first job was detasseling, or working at Hy-Vee.

You were jealous when the boys in your class got out of school early to help their dad's harvest.

And your idea of fun consisted of driving 50 miles to the nearest city to hang out at the mall.

Friday night fun was barn dances. And this is probably the first place you slow-danced.

It wasn’t unusual to see someone’s tractor parked in the school parking lot.

And if you were bored, you went to Walmart.

You don’t understand paying for parking. And you had never gotten a parking ticket until you moved to a city and got twenty in the first month.

Public transportation scares and confuses you. When you used to take the bus to school, there was only one route, and the driver knew you by name.

You’re used to leaving your doors unlocked, because you can do that when you live in a small town.

And when you are back home, everyone says ‘hi’ and knows you by name. If they don’t know your name, they at least know your dad or your grandpa, and can tell you some pretty funny stories about him.

What do you call 25 skydiving lawyers? Skeet!

A month or so ago, I went to a watering hole. A rare event for me. I hadn't done this in a long time. I was standing at the bar, minding my own business. This fat ugly chick came up behind me, grabbed my ass and said, "You're kind of cute, you gotta a phone number?" Surprised, I said, “Yea, you gotta pen?" She said "Yea", I got a pen". I said, "Well, you better get back in it before the farmer misses you". Cost me 6 stitches. When you are over sixty-five..... Who gives a ****

"It's not that I can and others can't, it's I did and others didn't." If I can make at least one person smile, or laugh till they leak, then my day was not wasted. Now, until we meet again. -TA!