The 4th of July

I have a flag hanging in my front yard this morning. I remember as a kid, my dad always putting our flag outside on holidays, but for some reason, I have never owned one as an adult. I bought this flag for $4.95 at Lowe's yesterday--pole and bracket included--and was very excited--might I even say PROUD--to have it waving outside of my home today...But my REAL thoughts this morning go back to the good ol' 4th of July days...those that included "safe and sane" pyrotechnics. Ah, yes...big boxes of Red Devil Fireworks--fountains, snakes, roses, piccolo petes, and--ah of course the ultimate 4th of July treat--Sparklers!
We'd swim all day, and have a big barbecue dinner--steaks, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, watermelon, chocolate cake, apple pie--we'd watch baseball, play a little Frisbee or roller skate out front...and then--we'd begin setting up for the show.
The entire neighborhood was involved. And all of our friends. Each family would bring out their box of fireworks purchased from the fireworks stand in the liquor store parking lot. If we were lucky we'd have five or six large boxes of the goods! Sometimes we were really lucky and an uncle or a business associate of my dad's would bring the $100 box which would include enough fireworks to light up the street and cause oohs and ahhs for at least a good 20 minutes! We'd set up saw horses and tables for multiple pyro displays and sometimes tall ladders with a "fountain" on each step!!
And sparklers...there are photographs of each of us holding sparklers...trying to spell out our name by waving them in shapes of letters...they just LOOK like July 4th. We'd have burn stains on the street out front of our home for months--proof that we had lit up the night and celebrated the 4th in amazing fashion!
I know, I know....hundreds of people were killed, houses burned down and people were burned and maimed from so called "safe and sane" fireworks...
but we weren't. We weren't! Those memories of a slice of watermelon in one hand and a sparkler in the other bring shear joy to my heart...large family gatherings and celebrations brought to light...and delight...
It will just never be quite the same...