Independence Day has a traditional meaning and then there is a more modern interpretation for each of us. Funny, a lot of times we celebrate holidays without lending much thought to the actual meaning the day were used to commemorate. Most people have a positive mental image of July 4th as a holiday celebration. It is usually warm, because it is summer now: we gather and talk, eat and play together. It is usually a casual, happy, relaxed day with family and friends.

While I was lucky enough to be able to go out on the Chesapeake Bay over the holiday weekend and enjoy life to its fullest I still found time to ponder consciousness, action and desire in all its many states right there on the boat I rest upon as I “get away” from my life for a few days.

How fortunate I am in the grand scheme of things. Yet, still I struggle with the ideas that lay the foundation to life. At this point I assume I will never give up that part of me. It is the part that makes me more conscious, aware and appreciative of all the beautiful wondrous parts of life I enjoy and makes me stronger by dealing with all the other unrectified parts of me that I struggle with from time to time.

Fair and equal, just and right, dignified and virtuous, giving and open, positive and good natured, honest and humble. While I can sit in any of those sentiments, I am not perfect. While I can put the analysis away and let loose for a while; I am still driven to find the better part of me.

Breathing, meditation, yoga practice works its way into this realm by allowing this process to get easier the more you practice it. I love yoga and all its benefits on the mat.

But, off the mat, when will consciousness be as easy as having fun???

I work for that end..                                                              

I wish for that day…  FREEDOM

*On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. The Constitution provides the legal and governmental framework for the United States, however, the Declaration, with its eloquent assertion “all Men are created equal,” is equally beloved by the American people.

Philadelphians marked the first anniversary of American independence with a spontaneous celebration, which is described in a letter by John Adams to Abigail Adams. However, observing Independence Day only became commonplace after the War of 1812. Soon, events such as groundbreaking ceremonies for the Erie Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad were scheduled to coincide with July 4th festivities.

In 1859, the Banneker Institute of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, urged African Americans to celebrate Independence Day while bearing witness to the inconsistencies between the ideals espoused in the Declaration of Independence and the practice of slavery. Banneker’s orator of the day, Mr. Jacob C. White Jr., also promised his audience a brighter future:
We have learned by experience and by the comparison of ourselves with people similarly situated, to hope that, at some day not very far in futurity, our grievances will be redressed, that our long lost rights will be restored to us, and that, in the full stature of men, we will stand up, and with our once cruel opponents and oppressors rejoice in the Declaration of our common country, and hail with them the approach of the glorious natal day of the Great Republic.

Mr. Jacob C. White Jr., Introductory Remarks,_The Celebration of the Eighty-Third Anniversary of the Declaration of American Independence…_Banneker Institute, July 4, 1859._African American Perspectives: Pamphlets from the Daniel A. P. Murray Collection, 1818-1907

* http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jul04.html

Photos by Rene’ Lego Photography

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lego_films

New friends, old friends can share in the sounds that fill you up and make you alive. That’s what I experienced when the hippie band from Athens, Georgia, Widespread Panic, rolled through town to bestow their gifts and spirits upon us Philadelphians.

What an unexpected pleasure I had when a friend invited me last minute to the Widespread Panic show at the Festival Pier, better yet, with a group of his friends that are dedicated to their Panic! The Festival Pier on the right night (when it is cool, clear and breezy) is magical! The moon overhead and a few stars in the sky while the Ben Franklin Bridge creates a passageway to your imagination and you may even catch some fireworks. http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/16764

The setting, the type of music and people who attend and play at a WP show allows its listeners to embrace their creativity and freedom through good vibes, dance and union. There is a definite community and following that creates the foundation for the shows. A strong, loyal fan base that knows exactly what they will get if they venture to a show and they crave it! 

It was the first show for me and it felt like the music tapped into my spirit and struck oil. I am so lucky the way music moves me in such a deep way that is so engaging. I enjoy music to its fullest! Allowing the dance and rhythm to take me places within and outside myself that I can forget to visit going about my busy day.

It helps when Widespread Panic creates an environment that builds the energy like masterminds working the crowd to and fro, up and down. Taking them to that high point and then chilling them out until they let you really have it! Contained, happy madness erupts and a good time is had by all! http://www.widespreadpanic.com/news.php

And so the music continued to play in my mind and my spirit danced through a yoga class the next morning and onto another concert Sunday.

Already feeling lifted and blessed I opened myself to the singer songwriters that crafted a bevy of offerings for all that attended WXPN’s Music Festival. It was my first XPoNential Music Festival and I had wanted to become a member of the station for ages. Finally, I made it happen that Sunday anxiously giving them my money as a small token of all the happiness they provide me day after day, alone or with friends. In fact, the djs & musicians become your friends and companions without knowing them at all!

If you cannot find this wealth of richness and beauty as you listen to music I suggest you play around with the dial, let your intuition guide you to the station you feel best tuned into and then close your eyes and take it all in. Whether you sit still or dance around -the spirit feels the vibrations wash over it and a gift has been given in that simple moment.

GOOD KARMA POINTS  ..If you listen to the station then why don’t you make a pledge too? http://xpn.org/