Tomorrow is the 4th
It has always amazed me what a wonderful holiday it is.
Specifically how personal and private perhaps the greatest public holiday is. Oh to be sure there are fireworks, and pagents and parades here and there, but the vast majority of celebrations, even after perhaps long family migrations, are intensely, obsessively personal. That is, people and families turn in on themselves and enjoy the pure joy of enjoying. Beach, barbecue, dinner, party, home, park, camping, visiting, touristing, all of the things we do for fun focus on the personal, the familial, the trivial.
We do not as do some areas of the world, flood the city square and scream ourselves horse hailing some sociopathic mass murderer reviewing goose-stepping troops and massive missiles trucked out as pseudo-phallic images to restore their flagging virility. We do not celebrate in our churches or temples and then flood the streets to kill some despised pariah class. We celebrate country but not as a power capable of making our will be felt, but as a place where we can eat and drink and be merry, and quite often as crass as it may sound, be celebrate with food of people who up to a few years ago WERE a despised minority.
America at fourth of July does seem to be a one-party state. One party, all day, all the time everywhere.
Every year in early August, Sussex county holds the "Sussex Country Farm and Horse show." It's like your old time state fairs with rides, carny games, and tons of food, but it also is one of the three big Equestrian Events in the United States, and there are big 4H exhibits, animal shows, Oxen Pulls, barn tours, beauty concents, talent concerts, sing along's, Polka night, marching bands, and all sorts of odd and strange things-- "As strange" as Tolkein said "as news from Bree."
At the fair, it doesn't matter what race you are, if you wear turbans or yarmulka's -- Rebell hats or Stetsons, dress in sun-hat's, head scarves, bonnets or burka's. Everyone does not so much tour the fair as one EATS ones way across the fair. No one cares who you are or what you are and everyone is fascinated and fixated on their own little simple pleasures.
Fourth of July is exactly like that without the animal poop. It is a national WHEW where we eat drink and be merry and feel monstrously good about it! We get to love our wives, hug our kids, play a few games, do absolutely silly things and have a rollicking good time.
Have a good time you all, wherever you are. It's the AMERICAN thing to do!
solve the rotation problem with magnetic flight stands?
