The Fourth of July is wending it's way into our present at a fast clip. Time flies. I dislike the concept that has evolved around this holiday. People seem to forget WHY there is a Fourth of July but judging from the 50% dropout rate in the Los Angeles Public Schools, that shouldn't be that much of a surprise. It still makes me sad.
I like reading stories about towns getting together to celebrate the day with patriotic music, speeches, barbecue, friendships renewed and friendships made. The main goal in our neighborhood is to see who can set off the most fireworks. Unfortunately, they don't stop with the 'sane and safe' stuff for sale by the roadsides the next two weeks. We have fireworks that can almost compete with Disneyland - illegal ones from across the border. We used to try and get into the spirit when our children were small and would walk around the neighborhood to see what everyone was doing with their fireworks. One year, the smoke was so thick and the fire crackers so carelessly tossed into the streets that we quickly retreated home . . . and thoroughly wet down our roof, yard, and fence. I don't imagine anyone in the midst of this popping conflagration could have told us the history behind this date.
Recent years have produced another custom. Instead of waiting until dusk to blast the skies and eardrums with fireworks, most people turn on their stereo systems in early afternoon to sort of fill in the sounds of silence until the fireworks can begin.
Perhaps, that is why our country seems to be in a downward spiral of late. We are forgetting why we have what we do and don't look past the food and fireworks of the day. If you don't hold onto history, you can lose everything.
