This week the WOW (Word of the Week) comes to you mid-air as I jet to a family reunion vacation with my hubby’s family. More about that later on in the week!

Last week’s WOW was preterit. Just as a side note: I pick my WOWs from the Merriam-Webster “Word of the Day” feature. And while I adore Merriam-Webster Online most days, there are occasions where I’m a little perturbed with it. That would be today’s sentiment, because the m-w.com definition of preterit is bygone or former and that’s the archaic definition. Are there any modern definitions? Nope. So, why is Merriam-Webster Online making it a Word of the Day? Please. Someone tell me! Grr.

This week’s WOW is kickshaw. Let’s hope there’s a modern definition for this one!  Here are my definition guesses for it:

kickshaw (ˈkik-ˌshȯ)   1. what happens to Mr. Shaw when he’s mean to a Texas woman 2. how a stutterer says rickshaw (I just irritated my daughter, the SLPA, with that one.) 3. an Asian disco dance What’s your guess for kickshaw?  Either submit your guess below in the Comment section or send me an email here.

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U.S. Flags

Today marks the 238th anniversary of the start of a new country as declared by 56 white men. Not an exactly “equal before the law” kind of start for us Americans today. But, we had to start somewhere and so, the people who could do something about “taxation without representation” decided to speak for a scattered, unorganized mess of 13 small colonies. They were educated men, by-and-large, and knew there were little funds to sustain a ragtag group of farmers and merchants who wished to die trying to establish more freedom for themselves and their families.

Most of those 56 men died without their families by their sides. Most died penniless. Most lost their homes. And yet, despite all of the above inequities, that unlikely few established some pretty far-fetched ideas for their time that remain with us today.

Throughout our history the odds have been stacked against our success. We’re not a homogeneous group. We have a huge variety of “mutt-type” pedigrees from distant lands. We often bicker with each other loudly, to the point of destroying each other. We make a ton of huge mistakes. Our leaders are not exactly “Exhibit A” of moral leadership, often having to make very difficult decisions in very difficult times.

Who else would choose a slave owner to draft a declaration about freedom? Who else would pick a log-splitting wrestler to free slaves and end a vicious war? Who else would pick some guy in a wheelchair to lead a country out of great poverty and despair? Who else would consider that same wheelchair guy a great leader against a foe bent on annihilating 6,000,000 people merely because they weren’t “pure” enough? Who else would put a Massachusetts Irish Catholic in office to bring equality to African Americans? Who else would count on a former Hollywood star to lead the country out of sky-high inflation and unemployment and to help end Communism’s reign on 2 continents? Who else would elect an African American to office less than 50 years after crosses were burned in Mississippi?

Only the USA. We may not be at our best these days, but that’s exactly when you had better expect us to get our collective dander up and do something about it. Why? Because we believe in silly things like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We believe that each of us is just as valuable as the person standing next to us, even if we don’t like that person very much. We believe that you don’t have to come from privilege to become a champion. We believe that hard work and creativity should be rewarded, not thwarted. We believe in sticking together to do the impossible when the chips are down.

That is what we have done. That is what we do. That is what will help us solve our current problems yet again. So today, as you’re eating that hot dog, savoring that watermelon, binge-eating on that corn on the cob and munching on your flag-decorated dessert…and as you’re oohing and aahing over those fireworks, smile at the person next to you. Smile at someone you don’t even know. And remind yourself that your fellow Americans have died for you…the ones who never knew you and the ones who did.

And one more thing, pull out those smart phones and mark your calendar for the first Tuesday in November and make a date with yourself to vote that day, no matter what. 56 white men will smile down at you for doing what they were not allowed to do 238 years ago today.

Monday’s Post: WOW Time!

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Book Club Readers: Are you finished with # 6 of Songs in the Key of Solomon? No? That’s okay! It’s a very quick read. Get busy and start reading now!

Some months I don’t even need to comment on the holidays that somehow got onto the calendar. This would be one of those months. Read on to see what I mean, based on holidayinsights.com:

July 1st – Canada Day – Does that mean that Canada has a U.S. Day, eh?

July 2nd – World UFO Day – Remind me to stay away from Area 51 today.

July 3rd – Compliment Your Mirror Day – I never knew my mirror had an inferiority complex.

July 4th – Sidewalk Egg Frying Day – Unless you live in Canada.

July 5th – Work-a-Holics Day – Otherwise known, at my house, as Father’s Day

July 6th – National Fried Chicken Day – Since 7/4’s odd holiday precedes this odd holiday, we have now effectively answered which came first.

July 7th – Chocolate Day – It goes well with your sidewalk egg and fried chicken?

July 8th – Video Games Day – If you have a teen, this is every day.

July 9th – National Sugar Cookie Day – Yay! I always want to decorate Santa cookies in July.

July 10th – Teddy Bear Picnic Day – I don’t usually invite bears to my picnics.

July 11th – World Population Day – Are we supposed to procreate this day????

July 12th – Different Colored Eyes Day – Probably instituted by some woman who was “seeing red” one day and was “green with jealousy” the next day.

July 13th – Embrace Your Geekness Day – So that means The Big Bang Theory is on, right?

July 14th – National Nude Day – I don’t recommend celebrating this holiday at work.

July 15th – Cow Appreciation Day – Not to be confused with Cow Tipping Appreciation Day.

July 16th – Fresh Spinach Day – Remind me to make a date with Popeye.

July 17th – Yellow Pig Day – When you find a yellow pig, let me know.

July 18th – National Caviar Day – Because one can never have enough overpriced fish eggs

July 19th – National Raspberry Cake Day – Only if Pillsbury makes a raspberry cake mix.

July 20th – Ugly Truck Day – That’s every day in Texas.

July 21st – National Junk Food Day – Perhaps this is redundant since we had fried chicken, chocolate, sugar cookies and raspberry cake already?

July 22nd – Ratcatcher’s Day – I will happily celebrate anyone who catches rats.

July 23rd – National Hot Dog Day – Also known as “Maizie after she catches 5 frisbees in a row”.

July 24th – Amelia Earhart Day – We should always celebrate people who get lost.

July 25th – Threading the Needle Day – Only if I can find my reading glasses.

July 26th – Aunt & Uncle Day – I expect presents.

July 27th – Take Your Pants For A Walk Day – Preferably with you in them. I suppose, after National Nude Day, we need this reminder.

July 28th – National Milk Chocolate Day – Not to be confused with July 7th.

July 29th – National Lasagna Day – I always crave a dish that you bake in an oven in July.

July 30th – National Cheesecake Day  – The Golden Girls must have started this holiday.

July 31st – Mutt’s Day – For those who missed out on National Hot Dog Day.

Friday’s Post: # 238….

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