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Greetings 405 listener!
The 405 airs over KMMR Radio Station. At 5 Minutes past 4 PM. Normally each M-F week day of the year. Here on the website we'll get it posted for you within a few hours, normally.
Your neighbor and website maintainer,
D.J. Rasmussen
Wanna again welcome you to the 04:05 coffee break. Get your cup of coffee, glass iced tea, or bottled water. Let's see what's happening out there. It's the July 4. Nobody listens to the radio on the July 4.
OK Solberg:That means I can say what I want. Let's see what's happening. Spring wheat, $5.84 a bushel. 550 pounds steer calf, $3.95 a pound. A butcher hog in Omaha will bring you 61ยข a pound.
OK Solberg:And a 100 fat lamb in Billings will fetch $2.20. But, guys, there's more, much more. Like I said, it's the July 4, so nobody's at the radio station, and nobody's listening over KMMR. Hey. We can say anything we wanna say.
OK Solberg:Did you eat some hot dogs? Did you light off some fireworks? I'll start with a bible verse with a patriotic theme. Psalm 33 verse 12. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.
OK Solberg:Guys, I found a nice story online to help us celebrate Independence Day. Are you ready? A story I found online listen. It's a good one. It's titled more than fireworks.
OK Solberg:The sun beat down hard on the backyard, the kind of July heat that made your shirt stick to your back and your lemonade melt faster than you could drink it. The smell of charcoal and hot dogs mixed with the faint pop of early fireworks in the distance. Kids ran wild with water balloons and sticky hands, and a Bluetooth speaker cracked with classic rock and country music. Ellie sat on the edge of a faded picnic table balancing a paper plate in one hand and a sweating cup of lemonade in the other. It had been a long while since she'd been home for the 4th. College and internships and had a way of making summer feel like just another season.
OK Solberg:But this year, this year felt different, mostly because uncle Jack was home. Uncle Jack had done three tours in the army, two in Iraq, one in Afghanistan. He didn't always come to these gatherings. Some years, he stayed quiet and just stayed home. This year, he showed up early, brought his own lawn chair, and parked it under the oak tree with a clear view of the grill and the grandkids running through the sprinkler.
OK Solberg:Ellie made her way over with two hot dogs, mustard only, just how she remembered he liked them. Here, she said, handing him a plate. Oh, Jack smiled. You remembered. Thanks, kid.
OK Solberg:They ate in friendly silence for a while, watching the kids chase a runaway beach ball across the lawn. After a minute, Ellie asked, do you mind the fireworks? He paused. Jack chewed slowly. Well, depends on the day.
OK Solberg:Depends on the fireworks. She nodded. I was thinking earlier. I don't know. It's easy to get wrapped up in the party part of all this.
OK Solberg:Sometimes I wonder if we miss the meaning. Jack blanced at her thoughtfully. You're not wrong. He set his hot dog down and took a long sip of lemonade, eyes squinting against the sunlight. You know?
OK Solberg:He said slowly. We were outside Kandahar years back, July 4, 118 degrees. Yeah. We were eating MREs, sweating through our boots, and someone, don't ask me how, rigged up a mini speaker and played the star spangled banner on a thumb drive. He smiled at the memory.
OK Solberg:Couple of us stood up right there in the dust, hand over heart, looking out at a desert that didn't care if we lived or died. There were no fireworks, no barbecue, but in that moment, we knew exactly what we were there for. Ellie swallowed the lump in her throat. Jack looked at her, his voice softer now. You don't need uniforms or anthems to honor the day.
OK Solberg:You just need to remember. Remember that freedom costs something, and it's worth something. As the sun dipped low behind the trees, someone lit the first real firework. It whistled up and burst into colors, the crowd cheering on instinct. Ally watched it arc across the sky.
OK Solberg:For the first time, it didn't feel like just a light show. It felt to her like a tribute. She looked back at Jack. Thanks, uncle Jack, for showing up today. He gave her a quiet chuckle.
OK Solberg:Same to you, Ellie. And as the next firework cracked above them, Ellie sat up a little taller, not just a guest at the party, but part of its meaning. Thy end. Happy fourth of July. Thank you to all the military personnel that made our freedom real, and thanks to our heavenly father for giving us the land of the free and the home of the brave.
OK Solberg:So until next time, as you go out there, remember now, don't be bitter.