I've been thinking a lot about what 250 years actually means.

A quarter of a millennium. When the men in Philadelphia signed that document in 1776, they had no guarantee any of it would hold. No promise the experiment would survive a decade, let alone two and a half centuries. And yet here we are.

That's the part that gets me. We're not just marking a birthday this July. We're marking the longest-running argument in human history that ordinary people can govern themselves — and win.

So when I went looking for a shirt to wear for the 250th, I'll tell you what I didn't want. I didn't want one of those flimsy flag tees from the big-box bin, the kind printed who-knows-where and stitched by folks who couldn't find this country on a map. There's something backwards about celebrating American independence in a shirt that has nothing American about it.

This one's different. It's a clean 250th Anniversary tee, and wearing it feels like standing for something instead of just buying something.

Now let me be square with you about the cost, because I can't stand hidden charges. The shirt is free. You cover the shipping at checkout, and the exact shipping amount shows up right on the screen before you confirm — so there's no mystery, no surprise hitting your card later. You decide with your eyes open.

To me, that's an easy yes. A free shirt that actually means something, for the price of getting it mailed to my door.

I keep coming back to those signers. They put their names on the line for an idea. The least I can do, 250 years later, is wear that idea proudly through this summer.

Do it before the rush. July's coming fast.