What the Fourth of July Means to ...

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, both having written about wanting to live to see America's 50th birthday.

Men, great men, living for and dying in freedom. How, awesome is that?

I'm guessing to really appreciate freedom, you have to know something of the opposite, right? I mean, I don't have to roll around in poison ivy to know it's a bad thing. I don't have to have lived in a communist government to understand that freedom can be better, but if you want to discuss freedom, you have to look at all those that don't have it.

And there are plenty: spouses or children being abused. I mean, they're not slaves, but they're not free either. Are you in debt up to your eyeballs? Come on, do you know anyone that is really free?Addicted to drugs or alcohol, sex or pornography ... you know people that are addicted to so many things.

Fear can be an enslaving and addictive thing. Imagine giving up freedom and living in prison. A prisoner in the land of freedom. What a tragedy.

Actually, come to think of it, religion can be a great "enslaver." I know people that go to church but are anything but free, and the list goes on.

So when I think about liberty or independence, my weird, hay-wired mind goes all over the place. I'm actually talking to people that have all of the above, but I also know people that are truly free. It is a great thing to live in a country that champions and celebrates independence, but it is kind of rough to see so many people living in the "land of the free" that know so little of what freedom can feel like.

So while your at your parade on the Fourth and you're waving that flag that represents freedom and liberty, consider yours. Get freedom, live free. You are living in the greatest nation on the planet and your freedom is right around the corner. But you're going to have to make it happen. You're going to have to want it bad enough to work for it.

I do hope that you value yours, and if you're not free today that you'll look for and find the help to get there. Because life is better free. You were born and created to be free. Remember some have died so that you can live free. It's, really, nowhere near enough to live in the land of liberty; you're still going to have to work to earn or keep your freedom.

Live free.