Happy 4th of July month!
It is a natural time of year to pause and cherish the gifts of freedom and independence – communally and personally.
Over 200 years ago, we declared freedom from British rule and also declared the values that this young nation would strive to live by, “…that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
We were bold. We envisioned a bright, promising, independent future.
Karen Casey has written that “maturity is being able to let go of outgrown attitudes.” As our nation matured, we worked hard to live up to our stated ideals, hence we ended slavery and gave women the right to vote. We changed. And it took a lot of courage, freedom, and independence of thought to do so. I find the hard work that was necessary to live up to the nation’s ideals very inspiring.
What does it take to become freer and more independent on a personal level? Thomas Jefferson said, “he who knows best knows how little he knows.” He also said, “I cannot live without books.”
Change is constant. None of us knows enough.
Take this summer to learn something new. Read something by someone who looks at life differently than you do, or whose life experience is different than yours. Make this one of your goals of your summer reading program! Come to one of our many programs this summer – learn something new. Broaden your perspectives. Meet your neighbors. Be grateful that you live in a nation that gives you the freedom to do so.
President Herbert Hoover said, “Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity.”
I hope July is a month where you let your imagination soar, nourish your intellectual freedom, and enjoy each moment. As always, thanks for the many ways you support the Andover Public Library, it means the world to us.
Sincerely,
Nancy Logan, Director