July 4th, What it Means to Me

I will make this part simple: I absolutely love the 4th of July. The holiday marks the beginning of summer, nestling in a place where I can look back at the first half of the year, and at the same time look towards what the rest of the year will be. Most importantly, it’s just a period of days where people stop, take a moment, and take in everyone around them. This July 4th, in the year 2020? Not so simple.

My early memories of the holiday obviously involve fireworks, BBQ’s, time spent with close friends. As a stopping point in the summer, I have always felt the holiday was a time to enjoy the freedom of what the day would bring. It may start, as it did where I grew up, with a pancake cook-out, held at the local recreation center. Families gathering, laughing, eating hot cakes fresh off the griddles.

With time, the holiday took on more meaning, the day, or long weekend spent with different groups, the memories of previous years grew as my life continued. Girlfriends, best friends, trips. Countless memories.

However, this year is different. Today, I am currently working. Taking moments to write thoughts of what tomorrow (today is July 3rd, but recognized as a holiday since the 4th lands on a Saturday) will be in our current normal.

There’s a massive irony this year. Our incredibly poor decisions as a collective group has lead to the freedoms of the holiday being stripped away. Just the thought is head-shaking, sad, but real.

The saying “at a Crossroads” has been used eternally, to any points where one stands at a place and the actions of few or many decide what of which ethereal ‘two roads’ will be taken when a major decision is made. Feels like that is July 4th this year.

At first, I was angered at the closings, at the fact this holiday would not be the same as years before. Fireworks shows canceled, still no American sports to watch, beaches closed.

I want to write a story with some great prose, or a happy ending, or deep thoughts. Frankly, none of those ideas are coming to mind. The fact is we are here, a ruined holiday for the first time in many, many years, all in part to the inability as a country to control a pandemic. The question from here is, will we change? Will we learn? Will we muster the ability to make the changes we need to so we survive this, as much as we can, and then let it not happen again?

Today I will focus on my work. Tomorrow I will focus on reflection. I hope everyone takes this holiday to reflect on their own personal decisions and how we can make the changes so on July 4th, 2021, we gather, watch fireworks, eat pancakes in groups, and take in the spirit of the holiday.