Support the Kids. Buy Local.

Yesterday, my friend Chuck drove through my hometown on his way from Hotlanta (he's interning at the Foundation for Economic Education this summer) to his own home farther north, so we met up for lunch. On my way home, I passed two little kids bouncing up and down with their "Lemonade For Sale!" signs. I was going the other direction and kept driving, every minute feeling horrible that I didn't have the common courtesy to patronize a local business of little capitalistic entrepreneurs-to-be.

So, I turned around and pulled up to the curb to two little boys, now jumping excitedly up and down. They charged 25 cents for a cup of lemonade, so I paid in full, complimented their lemonade and gave them a 400% tip ($1) to encourage them on the rather warm day. My parents are really big on buying local and supporting small businesses, and I too think it's important to do the same, especially with the smallest businesses of all. They acted really shy when I was around them, but I still loved and remember the huge smiles on their face that I stopped at their stand.

Today, of course, is the Fourth of July! What a stupendous day. This time next year, one of my little brothers will be in the military. Here's a few words from Calvin Coolidge, my favorite president:

"It was the fact that our Declaration of Independence containing these immortal truths was the political action of a duly authorized and constituted representative public body in its sovereign capacity, supported by the force of general opinion and by the armies of Washington already in the field, which makes it the most important civil document in the world."

The poem "High Flight" from a short film showed on t.v. stations in the 1960s before they signed-off for the night (h/t to Jim Robbins, an editorial writer at The Washington Times) seems appropriate to share today:



Mom and Dad are at the swim club with Meg, who is running interference for Kato, Muff, John and me while we work on their anniversary video. We have about an hour before they get back for dinner, then we'll watch fireworks up at the park and stop by my good friend Sarah's grandmother's house (who lives up the street from us), where her uncle Michael will set off more fireworks and we'll eat popsicles.

Happy Independence Day!! Today is the perfect day to catch up on your American prose, especially the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. Always good to read, as well as being the purpose and foundation for this country. :)