Today is the 4th of July! What does that mean to you? Independence? Liberty? Freedom from talking French or like a Brit? Probably not, sadly to say! In most cases, patriotic thoughts are probably clouded by thoughts of firecrackers or hot dogs!!

Now, there is nothing wrong with hot dogs - or hamburgers or that famous down south barbecue! Infact, it brings an over-abundance of saliva to my mouth just typing the words. (and an over-abundance of padding to my behind!)

Over the years, we have celebrated the 4th in many ways. As a child, I usually went to Cedar Point for a family picnic and day of swimming with my cousin, Jim and his family. Now, Cedar Point in the 50s was NOTHING like it is today. What we had, was a lake (Erie), some trees and picnic tables and a huge ferris wheel that made you feel as though you were dropping into that lake- and I think there was a merry-go-round. Pretty much, that was it. We stayed in the water most of the day, running out to grab something to eat and go back in the water. (My Aunt Louise would be yelling out about waiting 30 minutes and how we were going to drown of cramping).

I remember they had part of the lake partitioned off with a rope. One side for swimming - the other (and larger part) for the fishes. I can remember holding on to the rope and swinging my feet into the deeper water. My older, and wiser cousin, Jim, teased me that I had better get back on my side of the rope because the fish would bite my toes "over there". I quickly complied, never thinking:I WAS STANDING IN LAKE ERIE - THE FISH DID NOT KNOW WHAT SIDE THEY WERE SWIMMING ON! Still, I felt safe on my side of the rope!

After a long day of being in Lake Erie, eating more than I should have, we would load up and go sit on our car hoods and watch a wonderful fireworks show. Maybe my childhood memories are grander than they actually were, but I do remember them as amazing! Unfortunately, my Aunt Louise would start badgering us to get in the car and leave early to "avoid the traffic" long before the fireworks ended. Usually, my cousin, Jim, would hold her off. At that point, what was to be accomplished by leaving? THOUSANDS of cars were sitting "in the go position" in the same parking lot. Of course, we kids always fell asleep on the way home: sunburned, dirty, full of hot dogs and cokes and dreams of gigantic firecrackers in the sky!

My daughter has always been a fan of the 4th. She was still too young to understand the Bi-Centennial in 1976; however she was very vocal on wanting to see the fireworks. Even though it was past her normal bedtime- clad in PJs we drove to a hillside where we could watch the star-spangled skies. She cried. No, she screamed, she cowered on her daddy's chest. She begged to go home after the first explosion of light. Even more determined than his strong willed daughter, was my husband who declared,"Hell No! She has made our lives miserable all week begging to come here - and she is going to stay and have a great time!" She did not have a great time that night- but I think he instilled a love of fireworks in her that remains today.

For many years, we also have had a tradition. Our good friends, the Clarks, aka Steve and Carol, have come here for a BBQ and then we drive out to Fort Campbell Army Installation to watch the fireworks. Steve likes the red ones and ooooooos and ahhhhhhhs with our son Scott. A few years ago, Carol saw a "smiley face" in the sky. No one else saw it and Steve really teased her about that. However, the next year we all saw it and she was vindicated.

When you think of it, it is amazing that we had a July 4th to celebrate at all. The idea that all the inhabitants of this new world wanted independence in 1776 is rubbish! Most did not participate actively, if at all. Many who did support our little rag-tag army, did so with the thought that the British would soon put a stop to this non-sense and we would go back to colony status. But we won this little scrimmage. If it had not been for the intervention of other sources, (French, Spanish etc), who did not care a fig about our "independence" - they simply wanted a piece of the pie in the colonies if they agreed to stop helping us! Silly French - they did not expect us to actually "GET INDEPENDENCE" - just a new "Dependence on them".

Our forefathers were not real big on Liberty and Independence either. Oh! they liked it for themselves- but they were not really into granting liberty or freedom to slaves or indentured servants, native americans (indians), religions (other than their own), females (HA!).

Our forefathers were a pretty exclusive (small) group of rag-tag guys who started something that got out of control.

It spread like wild fire - and it still burns in the hearts of those who have it, those who want it and those who are willing to put their lives on the line to get it and keep it!

We buried one of those patriots this week in Clarksville. He was 20 years old and a recent Clarksville graduate who was serving his country in Iraq. 20 is too young to die - for any reason. Thank you Joshua Lee Plocica. I did not know you but I appreciate your love of this country.

SO HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYBODY! ENJOY THOSE HOT DOGS, HAMBURGERS, BBQ AND BAKED BEANS!


ENJOY THE SOUSA MARCHES, THE FLASHES OF RED AND GOLD IN THE SKY TONIGHT!


THEN TAKE A MINUTE TO HOLD YOUR LOVED ONES CLOSE AND SAY A PRAYER THAT THE EXPLOSIONS IN THEIR LIVES ARE RESTRICTED TO THE FLASHES IN THE SKY ON A 4TH OF JULY NIGHT!

GOD BLESS YOU!