Josh and I are home from the local baseball game we attended tonight. Our minor league team is away this week, so USA baseball had their college players host an exhibition game. It was Stars vs. Stripes with a fantastic fireworks show at the end. The city had a 4th of July concert in the park next to the baseball stadium. Their fireworks show started at 9:00. We were able to watch their fireworks as the baseball game ended. Then the players went out on the field and sat down to watch the show. Let me just say, it was a really good show. I’ve seen some fireworks in my day, even on the National Mall in D.C. on the 4th back when there was a zero as the 3rd number in the year. This show wasn’t better than that, but it was still wonderful.
They played patriotic songs while the fireworks blasted. Well, mostly patriotic. I don’t think Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA” is intentionally patriotic, but they played a snippet of it anyway.
Here’s the thing. A lot of people in the United States aren’t celebrating today. Or, didn’t celebrate, given that the day is almost over. And I understand why they didn’t. Our country is experiencing a lot of things that aren’t good at the hands of government leaders who don’t seem to care that what they are doing is just not good for the American people. It seems our 250th birthday is not as celebratory as it was when it was our 200th birthday.
I group myself in that category. Despite that, I still teared up during this fireworks show. The guy playing the “Star-Spangled Banner” on the electric guitar made me feel awe as I held my hand over my heart. The lady who sang “God Bless America” before the 7th inning gave me chills. Josh still hung a new American flag off our porch today. Because while there’s not a feeling of good-will and patriotism right now in our country, we are still the United States. We still live here. There’s still a lot to be proud of. And tonight, even though it was 96 degrees when the fireworks started at 9:30, down from 106 earlier today, I still felt proud. Sweaty, but proud.
Happy 4th of July.
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