Celebrating the Fourth of July


The Fourth of July means different things to different people. It's also Indpendence Day.

To some it only means another holiday to sleep in, and later party with family and friends.

When I was a kid, it meant sparklers and watching dad set off fireworks in the front yard. I grew up during World War II, so there were no big fireworks displays. Now, because I live in the foothills of a very dry California, no fireworks are allowed here at all.

Of course the major reason for the celebration is to remember the lives that were sacrificed to gain our independence from England.

How you celebrate that freedom is the question I'm asking here.

Way back when we had a bunch of kids living at home, we climbed up on our patio roof to watch the fireworks show at the nearby beach. (We lived in Oxnard CA at the time.) Of course we'd already enjoyed hamburgers or hotdogs cooked on the grill.

In later years, when I had a licensed care facility for developmentally disabled women, we loaded them in the van and parked where we could see the fireworks display going on at the football stadium. No, we weren't too cheap to pay the admission, but it was far too difficult for them to climb the stairs to the seating in the bleachers. Plus, long before it was over, they wanted to return home. Of course, we always celebrated with barbecued hamburgers and watermelon. (They liked that part best of all.)

Now our celebrating will probably be limited to hosting some of the family for hamburgers and/or hotdogs and the fixings that go with them.

However, I can guarantee you we won't forget that we live in a free country. Hubby spent 20 years in the Seabees as his contribution to help keeping it free. We also won't forget all those who gave their lives over the years, to make sure we keep our freedom.

Great grandson Garrett, and the Seabee at the Seabee Museum at the Port Hueneme Seabee Base.

Happy Fourth of July no matter how you celebrate.

Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith

Comments

Marja said…
Excellent post, Marilyn. We celebrated pretty much the way you did when I was a kid, although there was also a town picnic to go to. As an adult, my husband and I would drive to the edge of a local cliff and watch the fireworks they set off over the Colorado River. And yesterday I put up the American flag, which will stay up from now on. I heard someone say that in addition to taking down the Confederate flag, we should also do away with the American flag. That was all I needed to hear to put up the American flag. Guess I'm kind of obstinate in addition to being patriotic.
Marja McGraw
Yes, all of need to show our patriotism more.

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