Independence

Today, Americans all around the country will be smiling and happy. Maybe not content; after all, who could be, in the world we live in these days? But for this entire day, people will forget their woes and those of the world, and they will engage in merriment, sunshine, and good times.

Laptops will get a vacation. Cell phones will be at a minimum, as adults and children get sticky from watermelon, overfull on burgers and dogs, and wet in the cool waters of pools, beaches, rivers, and slip ’n’ slides.

There won’t be any angry banter about which political side is the wrong one. In truth, they’re both the wrong side, but for today, we will all just be Americans with a common theme. Celebration. Hm. What does that tell me?

It speaks volumes about how we are all the same. We love to have fun with friends and family. I can see how we all do similar things today. We grill out, drink beer or whatever tickles your fancy, and we light up our own part of the planet with fireworks and light shows.

The most poignant thing it brings to the forefront of my mind is that we do it all without the internet, AI, or social media. We actually become social, instead of saying we are when we are not.

A side effect of that real socializing is that loneliness dissolves and depression takes a day off. Why?

It’s not the act of having people over or even going to someone’s barbecue. No. It’s the very real act of removing ourselves from the monster that feeds those negativities in our culture. The internet is profoundly quieter today. And thank heavens.

We spend too much time trolling feeds. Too much time is taken from our lives fighting with people we hardly know, if at all, trying to validate our beliefs and discount others’. We want to be right, and we will die on our swords to scream out our points of view. Today, we get a much-needed reprieve from that.

Today, people will sit with little clothing on and soak up the rays. Uncle Barney will push the kids into the pool, and Moms will break out the ice pops in the high heat. Grandpa will take a nap on the chaise while Grandma sips her mint julep. Kids will get along with their cousins and with the kids of their parents’ friends who showed up for the festivities. Do you know what all of this has in common?

We are outdoors. We are away from the vileness of social media platforms, which serve as breeding grounds for anger, hostility, and revenge.

Today we connect with nature. We come face to face with other humans and actually be human to one another.

There is much to be said for being barefoot in the grass, on the pool deck, or on sandy beaches and riverbanks. It’s called grounding. Grounding brings us back to ourselves in a very real and practical way.

The result is a calmness, a peace and joy in simply being. A slowdown from the hectic pace of life, to just enjoy people. No must-dos, must-gets, must-sees. We all just take a break. If you don’t know we all need that, you won’t notice how it has recentered you tomorrow.

Here is the thing. We need to step away from the blue light. We need to shut off and put the world on the other end of that screen we are all addicted to into a deep, long pause. It is not helping us be better people, not to each other.

Why don’t we try that a bit more regularly, instead of doing it only once a year or only during a 250th-anniversary celebration?

If we set aside a couple of days each week for intentional disconnection, I believe we would all be happier people. I think we would learn to appreciate the simple things again, like staring at the flowers in the garden, watching the hummingbirds feed on nectar, and breathing fresh, natural air that has not been filtered through HEPA filters and forced through ducts in an enclosed box.

The reality is that the internet is an addiction. We are hooked on it and on the chemical reaction it triggers in our system. The only way to cure an addiction is to first acknowledge it and then take steps to break it. That is an intentional act. No one and nothing will or can do it for you.

You have to get your bum off the chair, hit logout, throw open the sliding door, and walk through it. On the other side, you will find life. Real life. Not some lie you see on a screen, baiting you into reactions.

Why not make a choice that is good for you and your mental health? Why not tell the internet to spend more time without its addicts? Take your tired, stressed, and disappointed body out into the sun and air and see how it changes your day, yourself, and even your outlook on life. I dare you.

#independence #peace #disconnect #socializing #mentalhealth

(Published by The Inner Catalyst on Medium, July 2026)

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#independence #peace #disconnect #socializing #mentalhealth