“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. “ All these years later, we often take those words for granted. Simple words. Amazing words. When the founders made that declaration, that was the first time in the history of humanity that anyone had thought to write that down So what does the Declaration of Independence mean today? Does it even matter anymore? Is it worth reflecting on anymore? I think it is. 2026 will mark 250 years since the founders declared that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were unalienable rights inherent to all people. That 250 year mark is good time for us to take stock who we are. Are we honoring that sacred creed? How has the pursuit of happiness evolved in that 250 years, where do we see it going next, what gives us hope, what makes us fearful? In 2025, I'll be launching a new podcast to explore those questions and more. We will hear interviews and stories from regular people and about life (about being a parent in the 21st century, marriage in the 21st century, or not being married and not having kids in the 21st century), about liberty (in our economy, in banking and crypto, in housing, in reproductive health, in our service to our country), and the pursuit for happiness (in our occupation, through education, art, expression, through faith and spirituality). We will focus this project on Northern MN but will talk more broadly than that too. If you know someone you think has a story to tell, let me know. If you have a story to tell, let me know. Stay tuned, I hope you'll join us as we dive in and explore the most fundamental aspects of our existence on this planet: our life, our liberty, and our pursuit of happiness. Music by the Resonance https://soundcloud.com/the-resonance
