JULY 4th

Or as we Americanos say: The Fourth of July, fortunately comes once a year in my neighborhood. Now I am patriotic, love my country, have a flag and hang it, and have lived through two versions of the Pledge, or as I like to say Under God/No God and always stand when they play the National Anthem. (I know all the words)

But it is the one date that I wish it would rain at night, right before it gets dark. Why? Because the fireworks start days before, exploding suddenly without warning, interrupting my peace and quiet! Then at 11:00 in the morning, on July 4^th, they start warming up with sporadic explosions throughout the neighborhood, lasting into the wee hours of the morning of July 5^th.

You may be thinking: “Joe, what’s the matter with you, it is the fourth of July, we celebrate our nation’s birth!” No we are NOT, we are out there to make noise, plain and simple, noise to break up our humdrum lives. And all the noise and explosion does is scare little dogs and pets, and irritates mean old men.

What’s the matter with going to a fireworks display? Have a parade, but don’t annoy people that you even litter the neighborhood street. Take the money you are blowing up and go out and buy a homeless family a picnic lunch or maybe take them to a fireworks display and buy them ice-cream. That would be celebrating the birth of the nation, not ignoring those in need who live here and don’t get that joy you think you are expressing in fireworks.

Have a bar-b-q, invite someone who is lonely, or poor or too down on their luck, and ask them how much they need to hear the racket.

OK, I’m a grumpy old man.