Greetings, Travelers

I have been chosen by my people to welcome you and explain to you the meaning of Independence. I will do my best, though it is something I, myself, have found somewhat elusive. We equate Independence with freedom and in our writings we often mention happiness. Our first experiences with this concept happen soon after birth, when we learn to walk and can escape; when we can talk and begin to say one of our first words: "No."

Going to school further defines Independence for us when we find ourselves in a new world, one uninhabited by our parents/guardians and they never really know what goes on in our lives, for a minimum of 13 years. Somewhere in adolescence we gain a major freedom with the Independence of the Holy Driver's License and life takes on a new meaning. As we grow older, however, we find ourselves less Independent, chained to bank accounts; student loans; marriages that are sometimes not what we imagined; children who must mature and discover their own Independence; retirement funds that occasionally disappear, creating even less Independence. 

You will find, my dear visitors that many things prohibit Independence: being a child; being a woman; being of a particular shade of skin; speaking certain languages; wearing certain clothing and headdresses; having different levels of speech and physical abilities and sometimes a combination of these things.

We do encourage the Expression of Independence but we do ask that it is not done too loudly, or with too much color, that in many places it must fit in with customs and cultural senses. 

We celebrate a political Independence today in the place you have arrived. It involves blowing things up to light up the skies and makes noise to frighten animals, babies and causes many species, such as our birds, the beings who can fly, to leave their homes permanently, therefore giving them an Independence of a different kind. 

Thank you for listening to my humble speech, I hope I have made some sense to you and welcome.