When we were searching for a house, we weren't concerned with square footage or whether or not the house would look good on HGTV. Ever watch those shows where annoying, yuppie couples pick apart a brand new kitchen and talk about how they'd add this or that? Our house is by no means dilapidated; in fact, it was built in the 1950s when people still built houses with pride. But it's dated, so it'll take some work to bring it to where we want it to be. This will involve a fresh coat of paint in the spring, and some other minor fixes. The "bones" of the house are quite nice - many people living in houses built in the 1980s would be envious of how solid the floors and walls are, let alone the craftsmanship.

More important than the structure itself is the land and the community. Our lot is mostly wooded but has a small patch of flat surface and a hill going up. This will be great for sledding when our son is outside playing in the snow, and nice for him to climb up and explore a bit of our land before he tires of it. It's still a suburban neighborhood, so there will be plenty of things to do outside our property. New England suburbs are a bit different than in many other parts of the country because the land is so hilly and uneven, and the area has been settled for so long, that there is very little room for things like subdivisions with same-looking lots stretching for over a mile. I've always felt this has added to the charm of living in New England.

Our particular community is one where people enjoy staying involved. We have lived here for nearly three years as renters and I grew up close by, so I know people take a lot of pride in living here. This is reflected in simple things like trash collection. Without giving people ego boosts simply for showing up with a recycle bin, they regulate how much trash you can throw out on a given week or else you have to pay extra for special bags or an additional barrel (the barrel has arms on it which can be grabbed by the truck, and everyone is given one). The documentation states this should push you toward using your recycle bins more, and you have to sort things a certain way. Some people would cry about personal freedom and time wasted on sorting your garbage, but it's quite easy when you get used to it - and this method comes with extra perks like free by-appointment appliance and electronic disposal, since it saves the town a lot of money.

Neighbors seem friendly and property taxes are kept reasonable by a huge swath of commercial space (corporate HQs, malls, etc.) that are all clustered together away from most of the residential property. Michael Arth would be proud.

While fortunate to have been able to purchase property in a state that is known for exhorbant real estate prices, we also worked our way toward this purchase with clear goals in mind. We didn't need stainless steel appliances or four/five bedrooms with a master suite and jacuzzi. We wanted to live in a decent community, not too far from family. I've known people who moved half the state away just to be able to afford a nice big house (and with it, a 2 hour commute). The problem is, all they ever see is their own home and their own immediate family, because they've moved into a community they don't know full of strangers, one neither of the parents grew up anywhere near. To sacrifice the family time and community roots for another 1,000 square feet didn't seem worth it to us, so we feel we've chosen wisely.

Further to my post about the Revolutionary Spirit, I feel Independence Day should be a community and family day above all else. With news of unemployment rising to over 9.5%, it's easy to just hunker down and have one of these "staycations" you hear mentioned on TV nowadays. Instead of wasting time not talking to each other on a road trip to a sandy beach or lake, Americans, through media, now have an excuse to spend holidays at home staring at the TV or generally staying out of each other's way. Dad will cook after he comes back from Home Depot, everyone will eat burgers, and the warm comforts of home - computer, TV, locking up in one's own bedroom, maybe even seeing friends - are still all a few feet away. What an awful excuse for a "holiday"; sadly, this is how many American families spend free time away from work and school.

I spent last night picking up my brother in law from the airport with my wife and mother in law; he's teaching for a year in another country and is back for a visit. We spent until 11pm eating dinner, talking, catching up, and having him show us pictures of his adventures in the natural beauty of untouched mountain countryside. Today, my wife and I will visit my side of the family, and we'll do similar things over a meal and spend time together. But too many of my friends and acquaintances will have one of the aforementioned "staycations", and I have to wonder if the implosion of the family in this country has more to do with our overall loss of values and meaning than we allow ourselves to believe?

Without trying to sound too much like a conservative Southern senator, change comes from the family first. If we can't change how we act toward each other on a family level; if people are so removed from their family's roots and heritage and the interest isn't there in preserving something of value, how can we build better communities and societies - small but autonomous as we'd want them to be? There are people out there who have shown what real change in our society can be, but people have to embrace it and have to want it. Unfortunately, without that, the only choice will be a fairly harsh reality, looking something like the Darwin Party. Many in this audience would welcome such a change; on this Independence Day, even in 2009, I still feel we can do even better. Instead of forcing a set of values on people who aren't ready for them, we may be able to live that change. Corny as it may be, attend a parade, support local youth and recreation programs, encourage outdoor activity, and spend as much time with your children as possible - values will manifest themselves in communities and the stronger ones will flourish. If there's a semblance of American values remaining to be saved, this would be the best way to celebrate Independence Day in 2009.