Free

Free is a pretty powerful word. When we see or hear the word free, we always pay attention. We've all figured that you can get something for nothing, but we also know it isn't necessarily the right thing to do, or that there are "strings attached".

Back in December of 1931, Ted and Dorothy Hustead bought a small town pharmacy after searching Nebraska and South Dakota for their perfect location. They settled in Wall, SD with a depression/dust bowl population of 326. At first they struggled, but a brainstorm came to Dorothy and the rest is history. Free ice water put Wall Drug on the map from the first day they offered it. You can read some of the history at... http://www.walldrug.com/t-history.aspx

We see advertising all the time offering something for "free". Free with the purchase of... you probably have your favorite example, but mine are the TV ads that ALWAYS say... "but wait, if you order now, we'll include another widget absolutely free, just pay shipping and handling" bla, bla, bla!

What got me thinking about free stuff was a story of a boy who made a pretty good income offering free lemonade. His "business plan" was to offer sweet and sour lemonade for free, and having a donation jar be his fee collector. You can read about him here... http://www.parentdish.com/2010/06/30/7-t...

In reality, almost nothing is free anymore. Our atmosphere used to be free, but now it's regulated or taxed for companies and devices that operate within it. Water used to be free, but now it has to be treated before and after it's used, so we pay for these services. Taking a hike in the mountains used to be free, but now you need to pay a fee to park your car and use the facilities. The commons are being taken away from us ever so slowly by privatization and nobody seems to mind a bit.

Still, we live in a relatively free society, and our freedoms have not come cheaply. As we celebrate the birth of our nation, lets take a moment and reflect on how we got started, what we have been through, where we are, and where we are headed.

Happy Birthday USA!

Celebrate Freedom : Tribute To Soldiers - The most amazing home videos are here