Happy 4th!

Laying on my back on the still warm concrete, I shaded my eyes. Not from the sun, but from the debris that was falling from the fireworks that my husband and son were setting off. I marvelled at the colors, the sounds, the explosions. I love the smell of sulfur. Clapping and yelling for more I couldn't help but recall Independence Day celebrations gone by. My brothers, Brian and Brent, were dangerous with firecrackers. I can even remember some stink bombs or wildcats that were tossed into the back seat of a moving Chevy Nova in the wild west town of Enid, Oklahoma. Since we never wore seat belts, it wasn't too difficult to scramble and fight to get away from a smoldering device that had landed on or near a Levis, dock-shoed, Izod-wearing kid. Yeah, those were the days. Smiling in the darkness, my face lights up with more than the fizzle of another round exploding in celebration. Those days epitomized life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Happy Independence Day!