The Fourth of July

For those new to this site, I post a variation of this article every year around the Fourth of July.  Every year I update it a bit, but the bulk of the post remains the same.  I think it's important we take time out during Independence Day Weekend to reflect on our past and look ahead to our future.  

Enjoy this weekend with friends and family.... Happy 4th, everyone!

Growing up, my family put a half-hearted spin on holidays except for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  By half-hearted, I mean that we barely mentioned it was even a holiday.  The 4th of July wasn't any different in my household, and when I think about the Independence Days of my childhood, I can only remember a handful of things.  

I always enjoyed helping my Dad get our American flag out of the garage and hanging it on the front of the house.  He reserved this act for only Memorial Day and Independence Day, which made it even more special to me.  After that was complete, I would just hang around the house, avoiding the heat as best I could.  I'd watch TV or play games on the computer, counting the hours until Dad grilled some burgers or hotdogs that would sum up the bulk of our "celebration."  

After dinner, I'd find something to do and try to catch the New York City fireworks on television.  When I was little, my parents watched something like the news or Frasier, so I'd have to beg to watch a few minutes.  Hard to believe it today, but we only had one TV.  My parents had one in their bedroom, but I only got to watch it on special occasions. 

When I was a little older, I'd float between inside and out, watching fireflies and listening for fireworks in the distance.  Occasionally we'd have a sparkler left over I could wave around.

When I was in high school, my parents began their own tradition of watching the Boston Pops Orchestra play patriotic music on PBS.  At that age, however, I'd have rather watched paint dry. 

We never went to watch the fireworks on the 4th, as my Dad would never want to fight the crowds.  He and Mom would take us to see fireworks at other points of the year up at Bear Mountain, and I guess they figured that was good enough.  As a Dad now myself, I understand the desire to avoid large crowds and enjoy things from the comfort of my own home.  

Once, when I had just graduated high school, friends invited me to join them at the town fireworks.  Not everyone had cell phones back then, and I spent the entire evening wandering around, trying to find them.  The fireworks were over by the time we found each other, and by then, I was aggravated enough to chat for just a few minutes and return home.

My parents were very against us having our own firecrackers and the like.  Mostly because when I was about 4 or 5, my Dad set off some fireworks, and one launched itself directly onto a neighbor's roof in a fiery blaze of explosive American glory.  I can vaguely remember him scooping me up and sprinting into the house to hide, but that was the end of lighting fireworks in our household.  

After that, my parents would get us a pack of sparklers every year, and my brother and I would stand in the driveway and wave them around or chase each other for a few minutes as soon as it got dark.  One summer, I spent my allowance buying some fireworks from my neighbor when he returned from his vacation in Pennsylvania, where fireworks were legal to purchase.  My Mom confiscated them, and years later, when I found them hidden somewhere, I lit them off when they weren't home.  

Sorry, Mom.

As hard as fireworks were to purchase in New York, even the Walmart and CVS, where I now live, have large fireworks sections.  Freedom!

When I met my wife in college, she invited me to her family's cabin in upstate New York for our first Independence Day together.  Her family went every 4th to attend the homeowners association's annual picnic and fireworks display.  It became a tradition to head up there every year for a few days for the picnic and a fireworks display.  I jumped through hoops every year during the airline's busy season to make sure I had off that weekend, and I only missed out on a year or two.

As often happens, some people just have to ruin everything.  As more and more people from "the city" started moving into the area, they began complaining about the noise and the safety of the fireworks by the lake.  The gentleman volunteering his time and money to put on a spectacular display each year decided it was no longer worth the money or the hassle.  Every year after that, the picnic lost some magic as they added more and more rules that restricted fun.  

Due to COVID, there wasn't one in 2020, and there wasn't one in 2021 since everyone up there was still skittish about the whole thing.  It returned in 2022, but we were busy moving to our new home and didn't go.  We were told we didn't miss much as the whole mood had changed.

Another tradition lost in the name of "progress."

The Independence Day/4th of July holiday celebrates all that is America.  My opinion on the direction of this country may have soured recently, but it's still the greatest place to live in the world.  We should all be grateful to be here, whether we're born here or not.  We should reflect on all who have gone before us that worked hard, sacrificed, and given everything to build this into the greatest nation on Earth.

In 2019, the guys at The Retro Network asked what pop culture reference, a moment from a television show or movie, makes us think most about America.  My answer then, as it is now, was easy to think of.  

The 4th of July nighttime baseball game from the movie "The Sandlot" makes me think of America most of all.  When Ray Charles' rendition of "America, the Beautiful" plays, it makes me feel happy and excited for the future, melancholy for the past, proud, and patriotic all at the same time.  

Please take 2 minutes to watch the clip below.  It's worth it, I promise.  

If, for whatever reason, the video doesn't load on my site, CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE.

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!