Another Independence Day

I'm one of the few people that gets to celebrate two Independence Days every July.

After a year and a half of game-playing, lying, and various shenanigans, on this day in 2006, my freedom became a reality. My ex tried everything in the book to try and get me to go back East. (She didn't know me very well, even after 27 years of living with her.) She tried to use sickness, used the grandkids, destroyed or had destroyed one of the vehicles I left behind after she let the insurance lapse, doused my son's new mini van with gasoline for the purpose of burning it up, used everything she could think of to get me to have a change of heart. She even tried some crap about having a brain tumor to try to get me to stop action - I mean, since she's dying anyway, why bother, right? It didn't work. It's been well over a year since she used the brain tumor ruse, and she's still very much alive - and no mention of the brain tumor since. Maybe it miraculously disappeared. Nah. She lied, as with everything else. Numerous delays came because her lawyer couldn't get hold of her. She was "out of pocket" many times at opportune weeks.

This day marks the one year mark, when the judge signed my divorce petition, granting me what I asked for - to get out of that marriage and only keep what I had in my possession when I came here. I gave up everything else for my freedom - my house, land, everything but some of my personal belongings that the judge said I was entitled to. I can celebrate my personal Independence Day every July 26th from here on. It is cause for celebration.

Happy 26th of July!