I was one of the many students to graduate from High School in 1976. I remember the streets had red and blue lines down the middle. All the fire hydrons were newly painted and not just red. I remember hearing the Declaration of Independence being read aloud. The words “certain unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. I stood in awe of the simplistic yet powerful truths.
Four years later, I graduated college. The world seemed too open to me to take in as an adult. I didn’t know what my pursuit of happiness was, nor did I understand the liberty I wanted came with life boundaries. I celebrated by seeing the tall ships and TWICE going to Boston on the Esplanade for the concert and fireworks. We went to ballgames and concerts, celebrating our youth.
So much has changed in our world. It’s been 50 years since I graduated. I have seen Washington DC and all the historical museums and monuments. I have read the words of men who helped create our government. I have stood in front of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Magna Carta. I have read the words of John Kennedy. I have seen the tomb of the unknown soldier and prayed at the Vietnam Wall.
My pursuits of happiness (while never wild and crazy) have become smaller and more meaningful. I have no desire to shoehorn myself into a crowd to watch fireworks or a grand parade. I still think upon the words “certain unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. Somehow I think we have fallen off course. I see the rights of women being taken away. I see people’s liberties being taken away. Yet, I know we should not be taking away unalienable rights. I know that most of the people around me sometimes wonder how they are going to survive the next week.
Instead let’s celebrate each other’s passions together even when they are different from ours, instead of pushing our own agendas to the exclusion of others. An opinion piece I read this week said (I am not sure I am using the same words) that freedom of religion means we give everyone the right to celebrate their religion and do not force others to accept our way of faith. I think that is what the pursuit of happiness means.
And maybe the Red Sox beating the Yankees.
