Summer is my favorite time of year. Warm weather, hanging out by the pool, and enjoying the outdoors (weather permitting of course). It’s also the time of year when my favorite holiday occurs, Independence Day. EXAIR will be closed on July 4th in celebration of Independence Day. On this day 243 years ago the Declaration of Independence was adopted, marking the official legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain.
Although today we celebrate on July 4th, Congress actually voted to declare independence two days earlier on July 2nd. If it were up to John Adams, that would be the date we commemorate to this day. He wrote in a letter to his wife that this would be the most memorable day in the history of America, to be celebrated by pomp and parade, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other. In protest of July 4th being designated a federal holiday, he was reported to turn down invitations to appear. Coincidentally, both he and Thomas Jefferson both passed away on July 4, 1829 on the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
I imagine the celebrations looked quite a bit different back then, but today many of us will spend time with our family and friends enjoying some BBQ. Parades and firework shows are also in abundance as we celebrate together as a country in unison.
“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” – Harry S. Truman
The very same can be said of EXAIR, built on the courage, imagination and determination of our late founder Roy Sweeney. Without his willingness to take risks and build his version of the American Dream, we would have never come to be.
So while we celebrate, hot dog in hand, take a moment to reflect on what it means to be an American. Enjoy your right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To all of my fellow Americans on behalf of EXAIR, Happy Birthday to US!
Tyler Daniel
Application Engineer
E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD
Photo courtesy of Andy Morffew via Creative Commons License