Red, White & Six Years Old: Dr. Martin Remembers

I was born in a small coal town in central Pennsylvania. In 1976, I was six years old, and the country was celebrating the Bicentennial of American Independence. It was a major cultural phenomenon. A wave of patriotism and nostalgia swept the nation. For more than a year, it seemed that everyone was organizing events and activities to commemorate the nation’s milestone.

As part of the celebration that summer, I performed in a church theater show commemorating our nation’s 200 th birthday. My Indian father (who had just become a US Citizen) and I reenacted conversations that a colonist would have had with his daughter about the American revolution. Together with our church choir we traveled to many venues across central PA to perform. That was the beginning and end of my acting career, but I will never forget the feeling of being a part of something big and patriotic that summer of ‘76.

I hope you and your family make great memories together celebrating our nation’s

independence this weekend. Happy fourth of July!

Love,

Dr. Misha Martin

Complete Care for Kids