Conflicted About Independence Day?

May the Fourth be with you

found in the wilds of LA

I don’t want to be a downer for those who love a good cookout and fireworks display, but this year, with a bill in Congress that threatens to lead us back to the days of kings, the irony is too much. The thought of celebrating Independence Day leaves me with a sour stomach, like when you’re invited to a sociopathic relative’s birthday party, or a wedding where everyone knows the couple is a bad match.

But as the holiday has been approaching, a certain phrase — dedicated to a different date — has been repeating in my mind. May the fourth be with you.

The phrase, in case you don’t know, is a play on the Star Wars line, May the FORCE be with you, first uttered in the original 1977 film and subsequently in sequels. But on May 4th, 1979, the UK's Conservative party ran a punny ad in a London paper congratulating their winning candidate, Margaret Thatcher: May the fourth be with you, Maggie. It remained an obscure pun for years until it caught fire on the internet, and Star Wars fans shared it in memes far and wide (annually on May 4th) to celebrate what officially became Star Wars Day.

I’m not into Star Wars (lost track after maybe the third sequel?), and of course May has come and gone, so why that phrase on repeat? I think there are two aspects. The original July 4th was a celebration of freedom. True, that freedom was flawed and excluded many, and the land that was claiming independence was stolen. But. Defeating a faraway king was a start to some decent aspirations for a country.

There are so many liberties we as Americans have fought for and now must continue to fight for at this juncture. So I think the phrase is a way to remind myself this July 4th to honor and tap into the revolutionary spirit that gave birth to this country.

And so I say to you, as you stand at your grill or stare at color bombs exploding in the sky, may the fourth — as in the true spirit of July Fourth — be with you, and keep you awake in the face of a crumbling democracy.

“Imagine feeling more afraid of diversity than dictatorship. “

— someone on the internet whose name I failed to capture

And, knowing me and my mystical leanings, the repetition is probably also a reminder to connect with a deeper intelligence, one like the mythical Force in the Star Wars franchise — a presence that holds the universe together, that can be tapped into for strength, flow, and guidance.

May the Force be with us as we further descend into the madness of cruel leadership, and the crises come at us faster than a TIE starfighter (Star Wars fans, you know I had to look that one up).

And because this is the HI Stack, I do have a few suggestions to make your holiday more meaningful, as only humans can.

• Bring a little ceremony to the day. Instead of simply complaining about how bad things are (not that there shouldn’t be some time for that, too), allow for meaningful grief and connection by inviting those you’re with to share one thing that pains them the most (images of the new concentration camps in Florida [purposely not linking] have been haunting me). Then, have another go-round where each gets to share something they love about living in the United States: the people, the talent, the beauty of the land, etc.

• Make a personal or community commitment to freedom. If you haven’t already, commit to a sustainable action, such as calling your reps on a daily basis, writing opinion pieces for your local paper, or helping those targeted by ICE. If you need ideas, hit me up, or come to the July 23 HI Circle where, among many things, we swap resources to do what we can.

• Sign up for this progressive good news Substack. A regular HI Circle participant recommended it, and it does help me relax. Good news is a blessing in hard times.

Most importantly, see if you can allow the force within you to hold awareness of both the darkest aspects of humanity and the most awesome, loving parts of being alive at once. Because holding both is what being fully human is about.

May the Fourth be with you. 
May you be with you, on the fourth. 
May the best of what you have to offer come forth.