On July 4th, 2017, my belief in magic was restored.
As many of you might know, the 4th of July marks the national holiday in the United States traditionally known as Independence Day. It is a day (and sometimes a week) to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 that birthed the greatest nation in the world. That is why the holiday exists for the country.
But for me, it means something a bit different now.
The whole holiday has always held a special place in my heart; memories of hazy smoke, Grandma’s lemonade, and concussive explosions fill my mind. Bright lights of Roman Candles and artillery shell fireworks above, Lee Greenwood ‘s ‘God Bless the USA’ echoing out across the plains below. Family and fireworks are what I envision every 4th of July.
However, in the summer of 2017, that all changed. This was the first Independence Day that I would celebrate without my family. Instead, I traveled just outside of town with several of my university friends to one of the largest firework displays in the state. And it more than exceeded my expectations.
Allow me to set the scene:
The ballparks lie at the bottom of the hillside, all the preparations made for a spectacular fireworks display. On the other side of the hill is a ginormous parking lot, strewn with hundreds of vehicles. A local band is preforming just beyond that; every now and then soft tunes trickle across the ballpark and invade the gentle clamor of the enormous crowd slowly swarming the hillside.
As we make our way to a bare patch of freshly mowed grass and set up our lawn chairs, one of the guys behind us sets up a portable FM radio. Keeping the volume low and fighting through the static, he dials it slowly until the station he is looking for comes into focus. With a satisfied nod he cranks the volume and the patriotic music catches everyone’s attention. The station finishes the song and the announcer comes over the mic, his rich booming voice welcoming the listeners to the Independence Day celebration here in the city park:
“Tonight, we celebrate the memory of the those brave men an women who came before us. We will paint the skies with fire to honor their sacrifice and dedication to this great nation of ours. Those courageous souls who fought, bled, and died in the pursuit of the one thing we hold above all else. The one thing that makes America the greatest country in the world. Your Freedom.“
And that is exactly what we did. We painted the night skies with the fire of falling stars, casting such a tremendous display into the dark that the bright, full moon itself seemed to float away on the wings of the wispy smoke. During a short break to let the smoke clear and prepare the accompanying music, my friend leaned over and echoed my own thought aloud: “It hard to believe it’s all real!” He said, his eyes wide in awe. And he was right. It was spectacular and breathtaking.
Together, as American’s, we celebrated our freedom with magic.
UWC 