Writing my own Declaration...

Silly me. I thought it would be easy. A breeze! What could be so difficult? I copied and pasted the Declaration of Independence into a document and went to work. Oh, dear. This is going to take a lot longer than I originally thought. That being said, I also think it is going to be worth the effort. It was unsettling seeing many of the same offenses occurring now that our Founders were unhappy about then. But that isn't what I'm addressing in my own declaration.

The biggest trouble has been narrowing it down from a national scale to an individual scale. The Legislature doesn't translate well to me, the individual. I thought about doing a quick replace-a-few-words and done. However, the more I've worked on it, the more I truly wanted to explore the possibilities. At first, I started thinking in terms of Declaring Independence regarding healthy boundaries. Then I thought, "Why not go for healthy relationships?" Now, I'm realizing I really want to learn to be healthy, so how do I work this to fit my vision of what I want for myself and my future?

I think I've finished the first two paragraphs, and I think I'll share it bit by bit, and then finally as a whole. So, for today's effort:

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for a person to dissolve the past unhealthy bands which have connected them with continuing unhealthy behaviors and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of myself requires that I should declare the causes which impel me to the separation.

I hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that I am endowed by my Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, healthy boundaries are instituted, deriving just powers from the consent of my healthy self, — That whenever any Form of boundary becomes destructive of these ends, it is my Right to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new boundaries, laying their foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to me shall seem most likely to effect my Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that boundaries long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce me under absolute Despotism, it is my right, it is my duty, to throw off such boundaries, and to provide new Guards for my future security. — Such has been my patient sufferance; and such is now the necessity which constrains me to alter the former System of Boundaries. The history of the present unhealthy behaviors is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over me. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

I may yet do a bit of re-writing with this, but I've started, and that's quite a lot to begin.

As I have reflected on the Founding Fathers, what they endeavored to accomplish and what they were called upon to give, I compare it to my own little world, and feel very petty and small for complaining about my lot in life. Many of them sacrificed everything to see this little country off to as healthy a start as they could muster under the circumstances. That is, they sacrificed everything but honor. Would I be so willing to give all? I haven't yet, but I'm endeavoring to learn how it's done. The great American experiment is simply this: Can man govern himself? I'm going to make my attempt.

The question begs to be asked: Did our Founding Fathers sacrifice their fortunes and their lives so that we could ban lightbulbs?