Great post, rdkl. As a veteran, I have my big Amer

Great post, rdkl. As a veteran, I have my big American flag hanging. I was just thinking of the old days when I was a kid, Today, my2 beautiful granddaughters, 14 and 16, will come visit and sit on the couch for hours with their I-pads or whatever they are, for hours and not say a word. They will then sit on the floor in front of a 40" flat screen TV and eat. They used to like for me to play nuff ball or ride their big wheelers or have me swing them as high as I could in our swing. When I was about 12, my dad bought 40 acres in the country and built a pretty nice home. We didn't farm but the 40 acres were all woods with a  creek running through it. My brother and I and maybe a buddy or 2 would spend all day in those woods with my dad;s 12 gauge double barrel and a 22 rifle-we nailed anything that moved-I regret that now. When it was supper time, the whole family sat at the table together to eat. My brother or me would ask the blessing and our 20" black and white Philco TV was turned off. Yes, we had fried okra, fried squash, fried potatoes and fried chicken. Mother did all the spankings on my brother and me, unless it was something like swimming in the neighbors pond which she had told us not to do. If she saw our cut off blue jeans were wet, she would say I'll let your father handle this-not good. When he came home there would be about a 5 minute conference in the kitchen then my father would say come here boys-no explanation was asked for. He had a special grip he could put on us as he pulled off his belt and striped our legs. But my parents never used profanity around us or yelled at us. We were in Sunday School on Sundays. I have 2 sisters and have yet to see them get a whipping. Wonderful parents are a blessing from God, and I had them. But this is still the greatest country on earth, even with this President and Congress, Happy 4th!!   JB