Some Happenings on the 4th of July

What Does the 4th of July Mean to You? If you are an American, the obvious answer is "It's Independence Day". This brought to mind the best Independence Day speech that I have ever heard in my entire life...

I know it's just a movie... but I love that speech.

For Filipinos, the 4th of July was also our independence day. For it was on the 4th of July in 1946 that the United States of America granted independence to the Republic of the Philippines.

( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Philippines_(1946–1965))

July 6, 2023.

Author's Note: I'm stillstrugglingg to write these days. I started writing this yesterday, but the words won't just come into my mind. A writer's block? Perhaps, just a minor one. If there is such a thing...

Dad's Birthday

The fourth of July means something else for me and my family. It's our dad's birthday. He's been celebrating his birthday in heaven since 1997 though. Happy Birthday in heaven Dad.

Last Tuesday, we attended a morning mass. It was six in the morning. One of my elder brothers was there his wife. My other sister-in-law was there as well. After the mass, they wanted to go to Jollibee for breakfast. Unfortunately, the two nearest branches of Jollibee are still closed. It was quite unusual for a fast-food chain to remain closed after six in the morning. Anyway, we had no other choice but to go to McDonald's.

Campus Fire

The rest of the morning went normally. After lunch, though, we heard the sirens of fire trucks. I thought they were just passing thru. However, some kids reported that the fire is nearby. I went to the balcony to see where the fire is.

It looked like it was the building next to the school where my wife teaches. I took some photos. When I checked the photos, I realized that the fire is more likely inside the school. Probably one of the old buildings next to my wife's room.

I tried to call her. When she did not answer, I rushed to the school. I saw them standing outside while the fire volunteers are dealing with the fire. I learned that the fire started in the canteen. Thankfully, it did not spread. My wife's classroom is next to the burning building.

They had to shoot water to the ceiling and wall to prevent it from igniting though. Thankfully, my wife already got her laptop and other electronic devices out. A lot of papers got wet though. Then again, we are thankful that the fire was contained in one area only. Moreover, it's fortunate that the exams were done already and almost no kids were in the vicinity when it happened.

Dinner With My Bros

My other brother arrived from Iloilo later that afternoon. We had dinner with our families at the beach.

We are brothers of four... but our eldest brother is not with us. The one on the right is the second to the eldest, and I am the youngest of the four.

We rarely go out together with our families. In fact, we haven't bonded like this for a long time... and it's always the three of us and our families.

In Closing

The 4th of July may mean "freedom" to many... even for us Filipinos. But for our family, it's our Dad's birthday. Two years ago, I have written an article about the 4th of July.

" What Does the 4th of July Mean To You?"

Thanks for Reading

Date posted: July 7