Show is worth the wait

The Fourth  of July is approaching fast. It is the day we celebrate our independence from an island across the ocean. It is celebrated with parades, food, fireworks and most importantly, a day off of work. It is a great holiday because there are no presents to buy for people who are puzzled by our choices. While food is important, nobody is expected to gorge themselves. It is acceptable to stay home or not.

The fireworks are one of the highlights of the day. I firmly believe that fireworks are best left to the experts. When we first moved here I was surprised at the fireworks places that seemed to spring up overnight. Our cat hates this time of year. Loud noises bother her as much as they do me. Since it is highly unlikely that people will forego having their own fireworks, please be careful. I would like to read the newspaper tomorrow and find that there were no injuries from the flaming displays.

When I was young we would gather at Martha’s house. Martha was Mom’s best friend. They lived at the perfect place to watch the fireworks that were set off at the nearby shopping center. Actually, it was a little too close. The water hose was brought out a couple of times to extinguish the flaming embers that landed on the roof or at our feet.

After few years, we abandoned Martha’s house and fireworks. Independence day became just another day. It was like that for many years. Now, we walk a couple of blocks so we get a good view of the parade. For several years we walked up to the fairgrounds to watch the show. The most memorable year was the time it poured down rain. We were walking home. I was afraid my contacts would wash out of my eyes. The rain was chilly and was coming down in sheets. We ducked under an overhang for a few minutes. At some point my hubby said, “You can only get so wet.” It taught us to have a little more faith in the weather forecast.

These days we drive.

The Fourth of July is one of the few national holidays that hasn’t been rescheduled to land on a Monday. I wonder how long it will stay that way. It really doesn’t matter if the date changes. It is the feeling of patriotism that is the point. We all know that becoming the United States of America came at a steep price and lasted far longer than the one day we allot to it. Whether you approve of our leaders or not, we are all in this together. We may not be as wonderful as we tell ourselves we are, but we have the ability to change what we dislike.

I like the holiday. I like the local parade. I am always afraid one of the many children gathering candy will get run over. Thankfully, the drivers are very careful. I like the variety of parade participants. It seems that anybody who wants to be in the parade is welcome.

When we see the last of the horses and the police car that signals the end of the parade we head for home. After supper we drive out for the fairgrounds early enough to listen to the band and watch the children running around. About the time I usually think of crawling into my own bed, the lights go out and the show begins. It is always worth wait.