Independence Day as Symbol

Independence Day as symbol.
Thoughts about our need for symbols. The flag, the Cross, the Lamb, bread, wine. Many symbols have transcendant power.

Independence Day means being done with anxiety over money and the future, means being free to focus on one's Purpose, the reason for my existence. All else is being "anxious for nothing."
July 4, 1996

Some interesting starter thoughts about symbols. This ties in to the notion that we often do not see or hear people, but tend to encounter the symbols. A man in rags sees a man in a suit and does not encounter a person wearing clothes, but instead sees the symbol of wealth and power. The man in the suit may not see the man in rags as a person, but as something vile or unclean or dangerous to be avoided.

With regard to transcendent symbols.... Are we hardwired with regard to symbols? Is there something inherent in our hearts and minds to respond to certain symbols? Does the mind look for patterns and symbols (and find them) or do we simply create them?

Then there are the symbolic acts. In relationships we sometimes read into a gesture, a perceived snub, and fail to see that there was no "meaning" behind an action. The act was harmless, unintentional.

Yet, in other instances -- for example, the initial steps in moving a casual relationship to a more serious level, esp. amongst older people -- every word, every look is weighted and conveys import, presenting a minefield of challenges.

So too, job interviews can become so dense with meaning and significance that the individual, instead of revealing himself (easygoing, confident) conveys a far too self-conscious projection.

For Americans, today is Independence Day, symbolizing our national freedom. Freedom is a great value in this country, one which has been defended and preserved with blood. It is an experience that is not shared universally. It is a way of life we too often take for granted.