7.4.21
Independence Day, the Fourth of July, the annual celebration of nationhood across America. The day when everyone comes together to celebrate as Americans. For me it is a special day, one that always brings a smile to my face. The original Independence Day was, of course, when the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th, 1776 breaking America free of British rule. The smile for me comes when I think of the final question I was asked during my citizenship exam on January 31st, 1997 when I became a citizen of this country. With a smile and twinkle in her eye, my examiner asked me, “And finally, what do we celebrate on the Fourth of July?” Being from England and having to answer “America’s independence from British rule” I think gave her a chuckle too!
As I sit here just a little after four o’clock in the morning, cup of tea on the brew, I think about my life here in this great country. Darrell and I, through hard work and many struggles, have a very self-sustaining, independent life on our farm. We raise our own livestock and so are able to fill our freezers with delicious pork, beef and fowl. Our milk cows keep us well supplied with all our dairy needs and the hens normally give us enough eggs to keep us happy! Darrell grows a huge garden which allows us to enjoy home raised goodness through the year. Yes, we are blessed to have such a lifestyle.
Today I will pack all my boxes of soaps and lotions, fizzy bath bombs and other odds and ends into our little truck in preparation for spending the day at the park in Monument, offering my wares to passersby. The park will be filled with other local vendors setting up their stalls. The village adorned and decorated with red, white and blue banners and American flags proudly displayed everywhere you look. Patriotism runs high in our part of Oregon!
As the 10 o’clock hour approaches, the parade is ready to begin. I leave my stall to climb into the ambulance, big bowl of sweeties in my lap, ready to drive in the procession around the village two or three times – we are a small village – throwing sweeties out to the children and adults lining the route as we pass. Darrell, in his 1951 Chevy chauffer’s the Grand Marshal, Lonnie, at the head of the parade. Smiles, waves, cheers all ring out as the procession passes them by. The ambulance and fire brigade vehicles are decked out with colourful decorations, children on bikes and horses and on foot are interspersed between the vehicles heading down the street. Everyone is showing their pride in being an American.
As the parade ends, people mill about the village park, seeing old friends they stop for a while to chat. This is a social event, where hard working people take time to enjoy each other’s company and celebrate this special holiday. For so many people in villages, rural towns and small cities, this will be a familiar scene. All over rural America people will come out to shake hands with neighbours, thank those who have served in this country’s military, appreciate the freedoms we have and celebrate America’s special day.
I will always be English, through and through, yet I feel proud to be an American too. I feel blessed to live in this land where opportunity and success awaits for anyone who has the ambition and drive to make something of one’s self. This country, known for many years as the “Melting Pot of the World” was a place where it did not matter where you came from, what creed or colour you were, what your background or previous life was like, here in America you could become an American. That is what I think of on the Fourth of July. America truly is the land of opportunity and I feel blessed to call it “home”. Happy Birthday America!
