I was going to post 4th of July pictures last week but I had an idea for a summer memories series and this just fit right in.
Growing up, my dad was a volunteer fireman in our local small town. The two big events that I remember every year that invoked his firefighter duties (aside from actual fires, of course) were the fall carnival and the 4th of July fireworks show.
For us it was an all day event at the ballpark. I think we would arrive sometime around noon for sack races, watermelon seed spitting contests, and playing on the playground, because it was one of the only shaded areas. At dark, the much anticipated fireworks show started. I don’t know how long it lasted, but to me, it was the most amazing fireworks show ever, complete with a finale that blew me away.
I remember feeling a bit of sadness as the ballpark lights came up. I never wanted the day to end! However, a ride home in the back of pickup (it was legal in those days) and a crawl into bed sent my body into the deepest sleep of the year, probably.
Our Independence Day celebrations are always a little different now. Sometimes we are in the USA, sometimes we are across an ocean, but we always manage to set off some kind of fireworks show. As an adult, I love them just as much as when I was a child.
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