Happy 4th of July.
Last year on the 4th, Matthew McConaughey delivered a pretty epic pep talk to his fans, both encouraging and unifying in what were pretty difficult and uncertain times. He did the same in 2020.
Last year, he said:
“Happy birthday, America… as we celebrate our independence today, as we celebrate our birth as a nation, a day that kickstarted a revolution to gain our sovereignty, let’s admit that this last’s years trip around the sun was another head-scratcher.
But let’s also remember that we are babies as a country, we are basically going through puberty compared to other countries’ timelines… and we’re gonna be some growing pains. We are going through growing pains.”
Ultimately, he called for reflection, he called for patience, he called for growth, and he called for unity… and if you’re not willing to get participate in the unity of the people, he says you can get out.
“We are all in this together. And if you don’t purchase that, move on, go somewhere else.
I wanna be a little bit better, you wanna be a little bet better, let’s be on the way to being the best we can be, let’s make that a song we can’t not sing. Why? because it’s who we are, it’s who we gotta be. And again, because the alternative sucks.”
Fast forward a year, and things haven’t gotten better…
We’re still as divided as ever, inflation is through the roof, gas prices are insanely high, Russia is invading Ukraine, the Supreme Court just handed down a widely-debated decision, and there was tragically another mass shooting at a suburban Chicago 4th of July parade today (only about 20 miles from my home).
Needless to say, life seems pretty tough right now…
However this year, McConaughey didn’t deliver a pep talk that would inevitably ring pretty hollow right now.
No, he opted for something a little different:
“Do you know are national bird, the Bald Eagle, its primary purpose in life is to build a better nest…
And I don’t know why, but I like that…”
Let’s all build a better nest, eh?
