66-year-old man writes the Declaration of Independence on his driveway every Fourth of July: 'That is America to me'

Joe Spangler, 66, has been writing the Declaration of Independence on his driveway every Fourth of July for a decade. (Photo: Indianapolis Star)
Joe Spangler, 66, has been writing the Declaration of Independence on his driveway every Fourth of July for a decade. (Photo: Indianapolis Star)

Every year leading up to the Fourth of July, a 66-year-old man in Fishers, Ind. spends four hours on his knees writing the Declaration of Independence in his driveway.

Joe Spangler says that the day after decorating his driveway with red, white, and blue chalk, he feels a little "stiffer from kneeling and bending over all day," but the tradition is "always fun."

"I hope I can keep doing it, depending on the back and the joints, but the neighbors always like it," he told the Indianapolis Star.

Each year, Spangler and his wife, Barb challenge themselves to find the exact colors needed to complete the masterpiece, without buying an entire box of chalk.

"Every other year or so, 'well, we got it there last year.' Well, it's not available this year," he said. "Barb goes searching the Amazon and eBay trying to find somebody that's selling just the right colors.”

This year, Spangler wasn't too impressed with how the red turned out, saying, "They look a little pink."

But Spangler continues his tradition because of his passion for the words of the Founding Fathers in 1776. "...The Constitution is important too, but that is America to me,” he told WTHR.

Spangler adds that writing the Declaration of Independence on his driveway is a way to remind others of what the holiday is really about. "It's not just hot dogs and fireworks,” he told the Indy Star.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.