Independence Day Eve - 2006
It's July 3rd, and I'm in the midst of a 4 day personal celebration of our Independence. Things have been very busy, and I needed a little downtime. After a busy weekend with wonderfully enjoyable commitments to friends and family, this is the first day I've had pretty much to myself.
I came across the following article, which I wrote several years ago. It still rings true to me, so I'll republish it again now.
Thoughts of Independence, Freedom, and the Internet
Tonight, I sat on the deck as a brisk breeze carried past me the smell of fireworks and perhaps a hint of rain. The fireflies were dancing in the back yard to the sound of firecrackers and the low distant rumble of thunder. It is the eve of the 4th of July, Independence Day. My mind wanders to thoughts of independence, freedom, the internet.
Not to long ago, I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Washington, D.C. It was a thrill for me to visit our nation's capital. On one occasion, I managed to steal away from the conference I was attending, and work in a couple of hours sightseeing. I stood at the feet of the giant statue of Abraham Lincoln, gazed up in awe at the lofty height of the Washington Monument, touched the names carved in stone at the Vietnam Memorial, walked beside the reflecting pool and several other sights of interest and wonder. They all spoke to me of freedom, of independence that women and men before us have fought and died for. Our freedom, our independence, is a gift bought with the sacrifice and blood of not only our founding fathers, but millions that have come and gone since them. We owe them a debt that cannot be repaid.
The Internet has brought another kind of freedom to us, another independence. No longer are we captive to place, to distances, or to lack of knowledge. In the last few months, I've been able to communicate with relatives hundreds of miles away in an almost effortless fashion. I've met new friends from hundreds, or thousands of miles away. I've seen small business grow and prosper to an extent that would have seemed impossible a few short years ago. My own business has expanded far beyond the borders of it's physical location. It is now possible for the stay at home mother to operate a global business from the kitchen table, for the handicapped veteran to compete with the giant corporation. Each individual has the chance to reach the world, in pursuit of their dreams of financial independence, in a way that has never before been available to them.
I watch my 5 year old grandson "surf the net" on his WebTV. We look for cartoons to color, and pictures of the Blue Angels, which fascinate him. I wonder what things he will be doing in 30 years, things I've never imagined. The Year 2000 is upon us. Many predict great calamities and turmoil. I see it more as the dawn of a new age, the age of the individual freedom, the independence of the entrepreneur to attain new levels of success beyond their wildest dreams. It will be an age where we can share an idea, a product, a dream, with the world. I pray we each and every one will grasp this freedom, this independence, and use it to it's fullest extent.
I bid you a Happy Independence Day.
I came across the following article, which I wrote several years ago. It still rings true to me, so I'll republish it again now.
Thoughts of Independence, Freedom, and the Internet
Tonight, I sat on the deck as a brisk breeze carried past me the smell of fireworks and perhaps a hint of rain. The fireflies were dancing in the back yard to the sound of firecrackers and the low distant rumble of thunder. It is the eve of the 4th of July, Independence Day. My mind wanders to thoughts of independence, freedom, the internet.
Not to long ago, I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Washington, D.C. It was a thrill for me to visit our nation's capital. On one occasion, I managed to steal away from the conference I was attending, and work in a couple of hours sightseeing. I stood at the feet of the giant statue of Abraham Lincoln, gazed up in awe at the lofty height of the Washington Monument, touched the names carved in stone at the Vietnam Memorial, walked beside the reflecting pool and several other sights of interest and wonder. They all spoke to me of freedom, of independence that women and men before us have fought and died for. Our freedom, our independence, is a gift bought with the sacrifice and blood of not only our founding fathers, but millions that have come and gone since them. We owe them a debt that cannot be repaid.
The Internet has brought another kind of freedom to us, another independence. No longer are we captive to place, to distances, or to lack of knowledge. In the last few months, I've been able to communicate with relatives hundreds of miles away in an almost effortless fashion. I've met new friends from hundreds, or thousands of miles away. I've seen small business grow and prosper to an extent that would have seemed impossible a few short years ago. My own business has expanded far beyond the borders of it's physical location. It is now possible for the stay at home mother to operate a global business from the kitchen table, for the handicapped veteran to compete with the giant corporation. Each individual has the chance to reach the world, in pursuit of their dreams of financial independence, in a way that has never before been available to them.
I watch my 5 year old grandson "surf the net" on his WebTV. We look for cartoons to color, and pictures of the Blue Angels, which fascinate him. I wonder what things he will be doing in 30 years, things I've never imagined. The Year 2000 is upon us. Many predict great calamities and turmoil. I see it more as the dawn of a new age, the age of the individual freedom, the independence of the entrepreneur to attain new levels of success beyond their wildest dreams. It will be an age where we can share an idea, a product, a dream, with the world. I pray we each and every one will grasp this freedom, this independence, and use it to it's fullest extent.
I bid you a Happy Independence Day.
posted by B.G. Roberts @ 11:34 AM
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