I've never been a big fan of the Fourth of July;
too much privilege wrapped in a flag;
too much glorification of military might -
by people who went out of their way to avoid the draft
and military service
back in the day.
I used to volunteer to work in the ER,
just so I wouldn't be available/required to watch our small town parade.
and how seriously and lovingly their veterans participate.
If ever a group of people had a right to complain about this country and how it treated them,
its our indigenous brothers and sisters.
Attempted genocide - check
Cultural erasure through boarding schools - check
Exclusion from mainstream society into remote poverty deserts - check
Lack of access to decent services - check.
Yet service and the opportunity to protect this land is seen
as honorable and heroic.
They don't love our government -
which, lets be honest is made up of pretty flawed humans beings,
yet, they fight for our LAND,
Mother Earth;
its their home
and they feel duty bound to protect it.
Their approach makes sense to me.
I DO love this country,
the physicality of it -
from sea to shining sea;
its the government that sucks so often!
I continue to be heartbroken by ways in which our current regime
AND our earth are being changed and deliberately destroyed.
they never have been before -
at least not in my lifetime.
Heaven knows where we'll all end up.
Against that backdrop,
it was hard to celebrate even the basic trappings of the holiday
although,
at least this year,
it was inside in AC, with no mosquitos around
and a drink in hand.
and they're definitely still
out there -
Don't you love those rare shots that make it look like you're both a great gardener and a great photographer?
When you were actually just standing in the driveway and got lucky?!
I took a quick trip up to see where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi River;
its a MO state park - and frankly, it was underwhelming.
Not without beauty of its own kind
but also not what was expected.
Especially with a drive 5 miles deep into a cornfield.
Truth be told,
the road also leads through what can only be described as petrochemical alley.
Whatever you do, don't light a cigarette.
the Mississippi River on the left.
That's it ...
No metaphors about how two great powers come
together without fanfare;
Oh well,
it got me out of the house
and away from playing with paper,
making more anthropomorphic creatures.
I recently discovered my 'art practice' philosophy.
Thank God for these two;
they always keep it real.
It's gonna get rockier.
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