Happy Birthday America!

I share with you this month a wonderful prelude to a beautiful song by Irving Berlin revised in 1938 to include this refrain:

While the storm clouds gather,
Far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.
God Bless America,
Land that I love…

Today most people skip this beautiful piece of music for expediency, and it is a shame since it holds truth in their words today just as they did in 1938 when he wrote them. (The original song was written in1918) Let us take a moment this Holiday to reflect on and share our gratitude for living in a truly amazing country!

Total population in 1776 = 2.5 million; 2011 = 311.7 million

Flag Production – we buy a lot from China ($3.2 million) BUT that is tiny compared to the $302.7 million produced in the US.

Fireworks – creators of the fun little festivity…$190.7 million enter the US each year, but we still produce $231.8 million!