I've seen several people with connections to my hometown (not all of whom still live there) post memories of July 4th celebrations at the best little park in the country. In all of my life, I have never found a better place to spend this holiday than Wintersmith Park in Ada, Oklahoma. It appears I am not alone in this assessment. If I counted all the years I got to be there, it would probably only add up to ten or eleven times over the span of my life, but still, they were some of the best holidays ever. I cherish the memories of fireworks and snow cones, community bands and children's train rides. Someday soon, I'd like to go back.
This year, I didn't feel like going out to be with people. I had to take a full dose of muscle relaxer at five this morning, and was unable to be a functioning adult out of bed until almost three in the afternoon. I slowly got up to speed, but peaked somewhere in the evening by making hamburgers to cook over a wood fire (and serve as lettuce wraps, if you wondered). By the time I found the Music Man on television and stopped giggling about how I had just quoted it twice in the last week or so, I was used up. I settled in to sit, sing, and stare until my legs went numb.
The sound of explosions brought me outside, and now I'm sitting on my porch in a lawn chair, listening to all the fireworks I can absorb for free. Some of them are incendiary, with lots of gunpowder pops going off in any given direction (and particularly a couple blocks east of me, where several people spent big bucks for aerials). At the same time, a lightning storm passed gently overhead, and much bigger flashes and booms keep interrupting the smaller man-made pops. I get the best of both worlds here, and I didn't have to find parking, walk to an event, stand in the sun, or sit on the hard ground. I win.
Before anyone tells me my photos aren't a match for the holiday, please think of the legend surrounding George Washington and the cherry tree. Sure, it might be a stretch, but dude. I have cherries ripening in my yard. This is a first for me. This in itself is worth celebrating today.
No comments:
Post a Comment