Memories from the 4th of July

What is it about the 4th of July? Something about it always seems to spark some sort of memories from the past. Most people say that Christmas is the best holiday of the year, I have to disagree, for me it’s the 4th of July. I have to admit that I am not a big fan of summer. The heat and humidity make me want to lock myself up in an air-conditioned room until the leaves change colors. But, I seem to forget about all of that as I sit and watch the fireworks from my perch somewhere on the grass at a park or in my own back yard. Watching the bright colors and listening to the people around me “ooh and ah” always makes me a little nostalgic. It seems as though every 4th I sit and think about the many 4th of July holidays that have come before. I still remember the time some friends and I were shooting off fireworks in a neighbor’s back yard. The neighbor lived close to the airport and we had a super high-flying M 80. Of course, that’s before those were made illegal. A plane flew directly over the yard just as the M 80 went soaring into the air. We all held our breath as the fireworks just barely missed the airplane. The firework gods smiled upon us that night and kept us from getting into serious trouble with the local airport and our parents. There is the 4th of July my brother Theo and his friend Robbie decided that they would build a rocket ship out of fireworks. The only problem they had was that they were slow runners. As the rocket blasted off, it aimed right for them. Theo came home with burn cream all over his face and arms. One of my favorite 4th of July holidays would have to be the summer I had my first crush. I had decided that I liked my brother’s friend Robbie and we went to his family’s Marina to watch the fireworks lakeside. I got to stand near Robbie! He was a little older and liking him made me feel so grown up. While we watched the fireworks together, I pretended that it was just he and I on our very first date. I was so excited! One time in college, I went alone to Canada for their independence celebration, which actually takes place a couple of days before ours. I was in Toronto and the fireworks shot across the sky. At the end of the show a very friendly raccoon walked right across my legs! That was the year I celebrated Independence day twice. I left Canada on the 4th and when I reached Indiana they had just begun their fireworks display. I drove through showers of colored lights. It was so beautiful. In all of my holiday reminiscing, the theme of independence seems to be echoed. The independence and free sprit of youth, the independence one feels when they experience their first crush and the independence of travel and adventure. I guess the 4th of July sparks my memories of the more independent journeys I have had in my life. We all have our own independence days to celebrate and perhaps the 4th of July can be a simple reminder to look back and to take pride in our independence and those journeys which make us unique. Happy 4th of July!