Small town in the city

As dusk neared the neighbors began to gather in the cul-de-sac. Three separate games of corn hole were ongoing. Lawn chairs appeared curbside. An Icee truck parked nearby. Folks from down the street and neighbors’ relatives and friends joined the crowd. Neighbor B’s firework stash was piled under a tent. He had outdone himself this year. He spends thousands of dollars from his own pocket to put on a community fireworks spectacular, asking no more than a donation in the tip jar. The community pot luck was cancelled this year, but the celebration was not. By the time the sun set probably 75-100 people had joined under the few clouds in the warm, humid night sky.

The evening started with THE National Anthem as rockets and bombs exploded in the warm clear evening sky. Whoops, yells, and occasional chants of USA erupted from the college kids and their cohorts across the street. Around us other amateur pyrotechnic masters lit the sky in an explosive competition.The show went on for a good hour or more, ending with a finale that lasted a full two minutes.

Not bad for “just a dude across the street”.

There was no politics. No protest. Just a celebration of all that is good in America.

After the show was over, the neighbors grabbed brooms, shovels and garbage cans and joined together to clean the copious mess. That too speaks of the community.

I hope you had a blessed Independence Day.