Independence Day 2015

Hi neighbors. It's Independence Day weekend and there will be flashes of light and loud noises all weekend! Actually all the commotion started last weekend with a large fireworks display in town and several small bursts of "Lady Fingers" around the neighborhood.

Although I realize how dangerous firecrackers can be, I remember the excitement of celebrating July Fourth as a child. Usually my father was in charge of lighting the fuses from the always-ready cigarette in his mouth. He would light one after another and throw them to the center of the yard. They just seemed pretty and nothing to be too afraid of as long as my father had control of them.

Till one year when he was sitting on the edge of the porch, lighting and throwing as usual, and happened to have his cigarette fall from his mouth and directly into a brown paper bag filled with all types of fireworks!

I remember my brother headed for the door, my mother grabbing my father's always-handy ball cap off his head and flapping that cap around on his shoulders while she screamed "Do something! Do something!" to my startled but still slightly amused father. Being a man of action, he simply grabbed up the entire sack and gave it a toss to the middle of the yard.

That was the year all the neighbors came to watch our short, but flamboyant, fireworks display. All was well 'till the occasional bottle rocket went off and in no particular direction. That dispersed the crowd of onlookers readily enough; for a while at least.

My mother insisted we watch from the supposed safe retreat behind the screen door. Finally all the live action calmed down, the last Lady Finger popped and all became quiet and dark. The neighbors applauded and went back to their own less aggressive displays.

My father calmly started slicing the watermelon and lighting another cigarette. We all ventured out from our hiding places and sat on the now safe porch to eat our melon.

Mom took several deep breaths and said, "Next year you will not smoke or sit the bag somewhere else and I'll hand you one firecracker at a time. No more of this kind of excitement! My heart can't handle it!"

My father put his arms around her and laughed. "Your heart is strong as a mule's and you'll have to admit, it was a great show!"

Mom started laughing then too and my brother and I knew all was under control. We enjoyed our melons while listening to all the neighbors shoot off their fireworks. We oohed and ahhed when fountains would light up the night sky, and shivered with the potential of bottle rockets as they fly across the neighborhood likely to land anywhere without warning.

I saw my brother pat his jeans and knew he had managed to dig some small firecrackers out of the sack before the lighting began. He and the neighbor boys would use them as artillery in fake army maneuvers when the green soldiers went on the warpath.

From the time I was a teen I enjoyed more going to the public displays of fireworks. These were always well set up, and ran by professionals who used matches or lighters instead of lit cigarettes to start the fuses.

Still today I like the large firework displays. I enjoy them more with some patriotic music playing while the sky lights up in red, white and blue, green, purple and yellow colors. Stirs the heart to hear this mock display of cannon fire, rockets blasting across a battlefield and pops of rifles firing in protection of the homeland.

As you celebrate in whatever manner your family does, don't forget to tell your children about the reason for the July Fourth celebration. Remind them of when Independence Day was established and what it meant to the people of America and the world then and how it continues to symbolize freedom to all of us today.

Until the next time friends, remember, freedom is not to be taken lightly. It was not established, nor can it be maintained by men sitting quietly around a table and signing their names to a document. Let the pop of the fireworks remind us all that freedom must be re-awakened each generation and will not be allowed to survive without sacrifice. May God bless you all, my readers; and may God continue to bless America!