7/4: What Did You Do and Why?

[pax]

For you FYM Americans...

What does 4th of July/Independence Day mean to you? What do you usually do to celebrate it? What makes it meaningful for you?

I went to a HUGE outdoor gathering tonight that my town does every year. The Philharmonic orchestra plays pieces by American composers, and the city does a massive fireworks display (which even outsiders admit rivals displays in NYC, DC, and Philadelphia). And while I did think about the war and my grandparents who are veterans and the like, I mostly thought about how nice it was to see thousands of people all getting along and digging being American, political divisions aside, for one evening.

How about all of you?

 

[dazzledbylight]

Unless something else so uniquely wonderful or bad news that needs immediate attention that day/eve OR, it just plain pours cats & dogs you'll usually find me & my sis either hanging out some time before forehand, or meeting up an hour or so before to go see the NYC Macy's 4th of July Fiereworks display.

It was grand as usual! we are serious fireworks fans!

We also are born & bred NYC'ers who fiercely love our city {we love other cities we've visited, too}. We can usually- with keeping an eye out for pontential trouble & having exit strategies- enjoy being with crowds of our 'fellow' NYC'ers and visitors having a great/joyful time together!!!

{we've been at several big ticker tape parades, too !}

Coming out of "the 60's" as a liberal/occasional leftist but not totally stuck in it either-processing the goods & the bads of then, and absorbing what I feel is good through the decades.

Oh, I can still get uneasy showing the red, wghite & blue in very traditional ways because of the way it was slammed at us all the time when I was beginning to question the war in '67 as a precoccious, young teen.

I happen apon some read, white & blue beads some weeks back. I made a stretch bracelet and {I do silver wire/bead work} made a sterling silver "L" in captial & scrpt letter form to stand for Liberal and attached it to the bracelet, which I wore tonight.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

My family, throughout the years, has gone to watch the fireworks go off, and we've watched various 4th of July shows on TV if there was anyone there that we were interested in seeing. And at night, my dad, sister, and I go out and light sparklers. Last night, as I held one, I spelled out the country's new age.

As for what this holiday means to me...I personally feel it's a good time for all of us to be reminded of all the great things that were promised when this country was founded-freedom, prosperity, stuff like that, and to make sure that we never mistakenly let those great things go. And I agree with you, pax, about the whole idea of celebrating being American together and putting aside all our divisions for a day. That's always a nice thing, too. .

Angela

 

[U2Kitten]

Took the kids to the fireworks.

Why? We like fireworks and it's fun!

 

[najeena]

A rich guy who lives around here puts on a great fireworks show for the community every fourth of July, but this year I just didn't feel like seeing it. All of my patriotic feelings seem to be wrapped up and on hold.

 

[LoveTown]

I didn't go on the fourth but I went to see Fahrenheit 9/11 on the 3rd. As I was leaving the theater some fireworks to celebrate the fourth were going off in the distance and I just didn't really feel like celebrating America at that point. As for the fourth itself...I didn't do anything. I normally go to see the fireworks but this year I didn't feel like it. Maybe it was carry-over from the film, not sure.

 

[nbcrusader]

I was in Houston this weekend and visited the Johnson Space Center on the 4th. This picture said it all for me:

 

[cell]

this weekend i went to visit bg aka bonosgirl84 in las vegas. my first time going out there. we went to the beach with our kids saturday afternoon, and all day/night sunday. as we sat there watching the fireworks on the river last night, the star spangled banner solo jimi hendrix does played thru my mind, and i thought of all of our u.s. soliders in iraq. i thought of our soldiers protecting our freedom. fourth of july to me is celebrating our freedom, our country. everything about being an american.

 

[dazzledbylight]

Just wanted to add this: since I spend a fair amount of time thinking of/discussing about what America was/is/will be to itself & The World, & current events, and many of the permutations given this broad subject....I don't necessarily 'need' the 4th of July to contemplate about America.

There are various times usually in conjunction with the above that I'll be celebratring what I think is good about America.

Still on some level it's nice to be celebrating en masse on The 4th. The unbelieveable Tall Ships celebraion in NYC harbor and up & down the Hudson River by west maNHATTAN WAS JUST aMAZING/wONDERFUL oopps pinkyslip...in 1976!

Even though I'm one who feels America has yet to live up to her ideals in different aspects/levels to extend real first-class citizenship onto certain groups of peole in the USA, and Life knows I've been to a bunch of protests in DC for some of those concerns over the last 25 yrs or so-- I still get teary-eyed when ever i approach The National Mall. And upon hearing certain songs like 'America The Beautiful' on my walkman while watching the fireworks live gets me.

I could never quite do the 'Amerika' spelling that came about in the 60's from certain Leftist-type groups/people on any consistant level. Maybe on occasion when most frustrated/upset at something she has yet to have done.....

 

[meegannie]

I didn't do anything special. Last year I was staying with my future in-laws and we all had a barbeque (with me being the only American). I've never really done anything special, except for going to the fireworks on the Mall in DC four years ago (I only went that one time because getting back home on the Metro is a NIGHTMARE), and I vaguely remember seeing a symphony outside once when I was in high school. I HATE the sound of fireworks, so I don't like being close to them, and the 4th has never meant anything to me, so I don't really do anything for it unless someone else is celebrating and I'm invited. Now that I've been in England for the past two, I've forgotten about it until someone English mentions it!