My 4th of July

When I was a little girl, I remember that I couldn't wait for the Fourth of July.  I can remember the anticipation of going to the Wall Township Fair near Wall High School.  I was ready for the fireworks, even though I was scared of the loud sounds they made.  It was just the family ritual every year and it was something that I looked forward to before my birthday.  When I moved to Brick Township, we began seeing the fireworks at Six Flags Great Adventure.  It wasn't really the same, but it was just as fun.  It was the novelty of being able to ride the rollercoasters and other amusement park rides, and enjoy being a child during that point.  I never really grasped the real meaning of the holiday during that time other than the enjoyment of those accouterments. That was a time of innocence and joy.  It was the one thing about Summer that I have always cherished.  We never had a huge picnic or barbecue, but we definitely had that tradition.  When I learned about the holiday during my history classes in elementary school, I realized that there was a whole meaning behind the fireworks.  This holiday celebrated our freedom and emancipation of the thirteen colonies from English monarchy.  This day seems to have taken on many meanings, such as the supporting of the troops during wartime, but mostly people do something fun such as picnics, family reunions, watching a fireworks display, or even just going to a baseball game.  For some, the meaning of the holiday still holds political water.  Many people still go to political rallies and speeches on this date.  I think the most interesting celebration is the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, New York.  These are the events that we naturally celebrate and some without even the foggiest recognition of the reason behind it.  Our country is celebrating freedom from relying on a monarchy to support them.  Although, we seem to need to be supported.

For me, the Fourth of July is a quiet one this year.  I'm spending the time at home, doing some cleaning, writing, laundry, and just enjoying some time on my back deck.  This isn't really because of what happened last week.  I just really felt the need to be reserved and quiet.  I'm actually doing something by myself.  My husband is working rather late on a Sunday, and I'm not really in the mood to fight crowds in order to enjoy fireworks.  Having a pear nectar and a quiet early evening is worth it for me.  Maybe I am embodying the true meaning of independence.  For reason, there was no reason for me to celebrate outwardly.  Some of this comes from my distaste for what is going on in our country today.  There is a laundry list of things that are predominantly wrong right now.  This isn't because of a lack of patriotism.  In fact, the reason that I am concerned about celebrating a holiday like this, comes from the fact that our troops are stuck in the Middle East for what seems like an eternity for a war over oil and territory.  I support the troops and want them to make a safe return home, rather than risking their lives for a cause we shouldn't champion.  We shouldn't be the ones to make a democracy in Iraq or even Afghanistan.  There are things on our soil that are in grievous trouble.  Look at the large scale unemployment rates in the midwest.  According to the Michigan Department of Economic, Labor and Growth, people were losing 32,000 jobs per month statewide.  That rate is astronomical and absolutely absurd.  Even in New Jersey we still have 3.91 million people who remain unemployed according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.  It's facts like these, the ever growing oil spill, and our lack of competency when it comes to socialized medical insurance, that really takes away the fun of celebrating independence.  It seems that our government doesn't mind sending people into the wartime effort, but we can't take care of fiscal responsibilities, environmental issues, and medical difficulties right here in our own country.  Because we have so much of these obstacles, people become reliant on federal welfare, medicaid, and other government monetary programs.  How can I celebrate independence, when our citizens are dependent on the federal government.