07/04/2026
On a recent picking trip, I found this 1976 album called “Happy Birthday America”, created to celebrate our country’s Bicentennial. ❤️🤍💙
The moment I picked it up, I was transported right back to grade school. I remembered playing this album, how every lesson at school that year seemed infused with celebration, patriotism, and a genuine belief in what America could be. 🇺🇸 I remembered doing the math, trying to figure out how old I’d be when America celebrated its 250th birthday. I was absolutely horrified by the answer. 😂 It seemed impossibly far away.
Well… here we are.
The little kid in me imagined this milestone would feel just like the last one…hopeful, united, and full of pride. Instead, I find myself mourning, witnessing the division and hate deepen in our country and the institutions that once safeguarded our democracy being systematically dismantled.
That younger version of me would be heartbroken. But, that kid believes we will find our way back. We have to. We the People. We have work to do. Let’s go! 🇺🇸 Happy Birthday, America 💙
