Here we are approaching Independence Day, with Tax Day, Memorial Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day in the rearview mirror. And I'm feeling familial, memorial and grateful.

And it just hit me. I'm feeling more interdependent than independent. Even when we are not feeling charitable, we "donate" -- if you don't, do not pass go, go directly to jail -- probably more than 30 percent of everything we earn to keep the roads passable, to build the schools we need, to keep the streets and the country at least semi- safe. All of it costs money, and we get the bills -- in the form of municipal, school district, county, state and federal taxes. We are burdened with government debts, as well, thank you very much, President Bush et al.

But in the end, we all depend on one another.

The water, sewerage, electric and natural gas workers keep our economy's lifeblood flowing.

The grocers and dairy folks, the farmers and meatpackers, the fishers and truckers, the locomotive engineers and boat captains and barge workers, the waitresses and short-order cooks all keep us fed.

Even the corner gas station operators keep our cars chugging along, though these days they must be growing accustomed to at least a few dirty looks every day.

The doctors, nurses, aides and orderlies, the receptionists, technicians and other health-related workers strain to keep us healthy or make us healthy or at least relieve our pain.

The teachers and professors share knowledge and prepare our young for the world. The priests and rabbis, ministers and mullahs, philosophers and social workers, artists and performers remind us of what's important and right paths to take.

Countless others, including, ahem, newsmen and newswomen, do their jobs and contribute to making each of my days and your days more fulfilling than they otherwise would be. Not to mention those in other nations in this increasingly global economic environment.

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Why this sudden burst of "Mister Rogers-ism," you ask?

Do you remember that the late great Fred Rogers used to take the little kids into businesses and post offices and candy factories and such, and have friendly speakers explain it all to the inquisitive and wide-eyed youngsters? Mr. Rogers died apparently without one day being less than beautiful in his neighborhood.

As I say, it just hit me. And besides, maybe I'm just getting a jump on the holiday after the Fourth of July: Labor Day, when we honor all who work for a living.

Or am I getting a jump on the one after that: Thanksgiving Day? That's the one where we sit down together, eat hearty and say thanks -- for everything (much to the chagrin of the turkey population).

And I mean no disrespect to Halloween, between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, because Halloween may have been our second-favorite "holiday" behind Christmas when we were growing up. All that dress-up, all that candy, all those apples and candy apples, all that Cracker Jack, etc. -- pillowcases full of it.

And I'm old enough to remember Halloweens before the straight pins and razor blades started showing up in treats, and before the outraged began ripping into the holiday for its satanic or pagan overtones or undertones. In my Catholic tradition we learned it was just the eve of the Feast of All Saints, which itself fell a day before the Feast of All Souls. These saints and souls by definition were no longer here in body but were here in spirit (as ghosts?).

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Anyway, as July Fourth approaches with its attendant fireworks and watermelons and cold drinks and hot weather and hot dogs, we get the opportunity to commemorate and celebrate our independent political spirit and freedom from tyranny and oppression, which got this whole democratic shooting match going.

But at the same time, we might look at the guy delivering the bottled water to the office or the gal who fixes the copier machine on an extremely regular basis and remember that without them and scores of millions of others, our days would be way more full of doing things in which we can't or just don't want to get involved. Those are the types of things everyone had to do for themselves when the country was founded -- such as carry water, chop wood, grow their own food and build their own houses.

We are more interdependent than we might want to admit.

So if you're feeling lonely or disconnected, just think of the contributions you make to everyone just by paying your taxes and going to work.

Happy Interdependence Day.