For those of you outside the United States - the 4th of July is a big holiday in the US where we celebrate our independence.  We get together with friends and family, talk a lot, eat too much food and then view fireworks.  

Years ago - 4th of July -  meant we got to eat watermelons - a special summer treat. 

They usually had a big wooden picnic table - that they covered with newspaper.  Then they got out the biggest knife they could find and cut the watermelon in half - sometimes fourths.  Then they cut the watermelon into slices. 

Everyone was dying in anticipation - their mouths were watering looking at the big red slices. 

They gave you a big slice and you ate the watermelon out of the slice - with the watermelon still on the rind.  Some kid  - loving watermelon and trying to eat every little bit - would eat a little part of the rind - and all the kids would wonder - what will happen to you if you eat some of the rind?

The moms would be yelling at the kids - "don't get watermelon juice all over you".  But it didn't matter - you would be covered with watermelon juice.  The girls in pretty dresses were usually the only ones that were not covered in juice. 

Even the seeds were special.  Some were picking the seeds out with a fork (usually the girls in pretty dresses) - but most with their fingers.  The boys use to like to eat the watermelon and the seeds and then spit the seeds out. 

Then some young kid would get all worried because they accidentally swallowed a seed and their uncle would make up a story about how that seed would grow into a watermelon inside of them.  One morning they will wake up - and a watermelon vine will be growing out of their mouth. 

We even had a special song about watermelons that went something like this -

"Plant a little watermelon on my grave and let the juice (slurp, slurp) trickle through.  I've eaten fried chicken and its mighty, mighty fine, but there's nothin like a watermelon vine - so plant a little watermelon on my grave and let the juice (slurp, slurp) trickle through".

Today we get watermelon year round, mothers cut it up into small pieces, and they are seedless. 

Kids today are missing out on all the fun.  What is special about watermelon today?  It use to be one of the sweetest things we got to eat - today it is not very sweet compared to all the other foods.  I doubt there are any songs about eating watermelon today

Today's version would be like -

"Use a fork to put some chunks of seedless watermelon on my grave year round ... "

Fourth of July meant hanging out at a lake or river and playing in the water all day.  Think of it as a hot summer day and playing in the water to keep cool.  We use to get up early - put on our bathing suits, hurry up and eat breakfast so we could run out and spend all morning in the lake or river.  Then we had to get out and eat lunch.  Sometimes we had to wait 30 minutes to an hour to let our food settle.  Then it was right back into the water until dinner when we had to get out for good. 

Fourth of July meant seeing relatives that you have not seen in years and trying to keep up with the relationships - your grandmother's, sister's, grandson or 4th cousin, twice removed. 

Today people have databases with charts that show you your relationship with everyone else

I remember lots and lots and lots of different foods. 

Way back when - big holidays where the ultimate buffet.  Everyone brought something - usually more than one type of food - and all the food spread out like the biggest buffet you had ever seen.  There was so much - you couldn't decide what all you wanted to eat.  So you would try eat some of everything you wanted - and end up stuffed and unable to move for like an hour. 

Today we see buffet restaurants almost everywhere.  And people sitting around in the buffet restaurants - stuffed and unable to move

The fireworks are spectacular.  Everyone waits in anticipation and when they see a rocket fire off - tries to guess what type of firework it will be.  When a rocket makes a huge "BOOM" the little kids run hide behind their mom or dad - but peek around them - to see the next big display of color. 

And the "grand finale" - where there are so many fireworks being shot off - the colors all blend together - the noise is horrendous, smoke is everywhere - it just over whelms your sight, hearing, and smell. 

Then it all stops and another Fourth of July is in the history books. 

Hopefully everyone - no matter what country you are in - will take some time to reflect about how your country and your family got to where it is today, what they did right and what they did wrong.  

Reflect about the heroes in your country and family. 

Say some special prayers. 

Then put it all together and think about what changes you should make to avoid bad habits and do more good habits.  Its easy to be bad.  Its fun to be bad.  Its hard to be good.  Its boring to be good. 

I'm not asking anyone to be a monk or a saint.  Just keep trying to improve. 

Once you give up and stop trying to improve - you are decaying - you are just sitting around waiting to die. 

I don't want you to be like that. 

Everyone has something to contribute.  Everyone.  If you can't figure out what someone is contributing to this world - then you aren't thinking hard enough.  Even nasty, vile people are teaching you - not to be like them. 

On this Fourth of July - I challenge you to recommit yourself to improving yourself.  

Encourage others to join you and to improve themselves. 

Commit to doing one good deed each day.  There are all kinds of little things you can do that count as one good deed.  Just picking up the phone and calling someone to see how they are doing - counts - because you are saying that I care enough about you - you are special enough - that I stopped everything to call and tell you. 

Help the less fortunate get back on their feet. 

There are friends and family that love you.  There are a lot of people that need you. 

I am asking you to commit to improving your nutrition so that you have more strength and energy, to spend more time helping all the people that need you. 

As kids use to say on the Fourth of July - "Tag.  You're it." 

Go improve yourself so that you can do more to help improve others.