Classic Rant #769 (July 3, 2012): Happy July 4th!

Tomorrow is July 4, Independence Day, the day we celebrate each year as the birthday of our country.

At 236 years old, the country is as vibrant as it's ever been, and compared to other countries, it is a true young'un.

How are you going to celebrate July 4?

My wife has to work, so I am home from my own work for a brief mid-week break with my son.

We will have a barbecue, weather permitting, and when my wife gets home by the afternoon, she will have her traditional July 4 hot dog--the only hot dog she eats the entire year.

I will cook some other things for my family and my mom, who will also be there, but my father is working, so he won't be attending.

We will have the traditional hot dogs, hamburgers, steak and probably some fish or some other things that my mother and wife like to eat at a barbecue.

I'll probably watch some baseball, too. Baseball and July 4 go together like bread and butter, so I will watch the Yankees take on the Rays at Tropicana Field, maybe even take in another game or two.

When my family goes on vacation this year, we will see a Rays' game at the Trop, so it will give me a good view of what we'll see there. We have been to the Trop twice before, and I have yet to see the actually Devil Ray they have swimming in the tank there. I hope to get a view of it when we are there in a few weeks.

Anyway, back to July 4.

With all the baseball games and barbecues, I think we often lose sight of what the day actually means, as the birthday of the greatest country in the world.

Sure, we have problems, we aren't a perfect country, but is there a better place to live on earth?

I don't think so.

And on July 4, we celebrate those who are serving now, and those who have served in the past, all of whom have kept this country strong.

But we don't only celebrate service members. We celebrate all those who have brought our industrious nature to this country, all of those who have made a name for themselves here, and all of those who have contributed to make this country great.

That means all of us, every American can take a bow on July 4.

So on July 4, we celebrate the greatest country in the world. It's a coast to coast celebration, and I know you'll probably hear firecrackers either on the TV or in your own neighborhood during the holiday.

So, at least for one day, put aside your work mode, and enjoy the day. It falls out kind of oddly this year, right smack dab in the middle of the week, but heck, I would rather have it off than have to work that day, even if it is a Wednesday.

I wish my wife didn't have to work, but that is the way it is, I guess.

She works for a Canadian-based company. I wish that since they do business here, that they would celebrate America too, but heck, they probably think they do celebrate America by keeping open.

So have a nice holiday, and I will be back here on Thursday, hopefully recharged from the day off and the amount of barbecued food that I have eaten.