The Fantastic 4th of July!

Today was one of the most anticipated days for me as a kid: Independence Day. It still is! As I wake this morning, we are staying with my brother Jon in Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of miles from our home town of Fullerton, California. Back on the West Coast when we were growing up, the few weeks preceding the 4th were filled with anticipation. It began as the various firework stands around our neighborhood would be assembled each year.

Black Cat, Freedom and Red Devil were the three rival firework brands that prayed on the fantasies of young kids like me growing up in the 60s. Families were loyal to their brands (for some reason, I remember ours being Freedom fireworks). One year, the church we (barely) attended sponsored a Freedom stand, and I was able to help fill bags with fiery delights. I also had the privilege of reaching up to the rear shelf and bringing down the mammoth-sized boxes filled with various stuff that could cost up to $30. That was a boat-load of money back then to put out on an event that was over in 30 minutes. I remember our neighbors down the street. They always bought the super-duper family box; all eyes were peeled when they started lighting their stash. In fact, social prominence on our street was governed by how many fireworks you lit on the 4th, and if you had a pool in your back yard.

On the morning after the 4th, remnants of the previous night's fun littered the streets. There were several dark circles on sidewalks in front of our homes. Also, there was evidence of "snakes" that, when lit, would slither out of the flame like a black cheese puff. We always had a plethora of sparklers, and the used metal sticks were strewn everywhere. Burnt-out cones and gnarled pieces of charred cardboard were left on driveways to be picked-up when daylight made the damage easier to see.

Where I live today, we are allowed to set-off serious fireworks--stuff that the Fullerton police would arrest us for back in the 60s! In Tennessee, as in most of the South, bottle rockets, firecrackers and light-up-the sky kind of displays are legal and sold everywhere. These flying, exploding wonders trump the old days in California, I'll have to admit.

It was always sad to see the firework stands come down. It was kind of like the day after Christmas for me. I did have one thing to look forward to in the week ahead, and that was my birthday on July 10th. This year it'll be 51 for me, but I'm still a kid at heart when it comes to the fantastic 4th of July!