Jackson Free Press

Independence. We celebrated ours as a country this month with fireworks, food and a welcome break from work. Did I have a great time watching the fireworks at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce's Red, White and Jackson from a downtown rooftop with friends? Absolutely. Was Horse Trailer at the Old House Depot's (639 Monroe St.) annual Fourth of July party a blast? Definitely. But as they played "It's Independence Day," I thought about it on a more personal level, too.

I blame my friend Eddie Outlaw for the introspection. Over a recent lunch at Nick's in Fondren (3000 Old Canton Road), he apologized for any absent-mindedness, blaming the nicotine demons. Eddie recently quit smoking, and though the process was less than enjoyable, his resolve to free himself from the addiction was impressive. He spoke about the decision in terms of declaring his independence from that bad habit and how that made him think about the holiday celebrations in a different light. Of course that, in turn, made me think about how I might celebrate my own independence along with our country's.

Herman Hesse once said, "Solitude is independence," and that's where I took my cue. Being single and a highly social creature may seem flagrantly independent, but that's the thing about habits and addictions—everyone's are different. So for one day that weekend I declared my independence from social activity and also declared myself free of perhaps the greatest addiction of all—the iPhone: no texting, phone calls or Facebook app. (Confession: that one day was killer. I kept reaching for the phone like a phantom limb.) Free to do nothing at all, I was a little stumped, but settled into the quiet, which really was a celebration of my independence—free to be alone and calm.

Did it last? Of course not—you already read about the outing on the Fourth to Horse Trailer. The Old House Depot parking lot was full of friends old and new, and hanging out with them at the party and back at a house afterward was just the sort of activity and energy that I love. And now that the holiday is over, I'm back at work running from meeting to meeting like a crazy person and making social plans for the next two weeks. But it's nice to know that if I want to, I'm free to turn it all off again.

Follow Julie on Twitter @jcskipp.