Independence Day

For retirees, most holidays seem to be just normal days.  Sometimes we don't even remember that they're holidays.  We don't have a lot of family to gather with, but we might just have a special meal.  Yesterday was no exception.  We grilled hamburgers and had cole slaw and chips (a treat for us).  After dinner we went downtown for a candlelight vigil with some like-minded folks including our next door neighbors.  Our friend Beth, a retired Episcopal clergyperson, said it best,

We held candles to share light in a dark time. Our unhoused neighbors — 109 folks in Barre alone — were kicked out of the hotel shelter program on July 1, on top of the budget boondoggle, and the fragility of our democratic system) and we decided candles were a good metaphor since their light is fragile (it was windy), requires tending and help from others if they go out.

Some were sad about the end of the hotel/motel program for homeless families, pointing to three people getting ready to sleep on the steps of the Good Shepherd church across the street.  Others were concerned about the signing of the "Big Beautiful Bill" (which our Congresswoman Becka Balint called the "big ugly bill").  I am concerned about the capture and incarceration of immigrants without due process, and the potential removal of naturalization from people deemed "unsuitable" American citizens.   It was a sober event, but nice to be with people who care about more than fireworks and barbecues.