Independence Day

This is one of my favorite holidays-I believe in civil liberties and freedom. I love what the US potentially could be, what it should be. The whole family is coming over for a barbecue. I love that too. I love the contrast of red white and blue and sparkly lights and the BIGness of fireworks and the lighting that makes everyone look good and kind of ethereal, like fairies or nymphs. I love that everyone uses the exact same word (like "ahhh") at the exact same time in the exact same intonation when they're impressed by the lights. I love that everyone sort of believes in magic for a minute. I love how we all openly admit we can be fascinated by shiny things. I love how we all are celebrating passion. I love that we all light firecrackers and teach our four-year-olds that it is okay to play with fire, sometimes, maybe, that sure we need to be careful, but not if it means never seeing sparks at all.
Today I did something really summery-I washed my hair with the hose. It worked very well actually, except that I got some water in my ear and will be shouting all day. Oh well. After fireworks, so will everyone else.
July proves to be a busy month. I have had two friends with birthdays this month and there are 3 more to go. I love getting presents for people. I love having an excuse to shamelessly heap praise upon them and be as mushy as I want and they can't be embarrassed, they just get to sit there and blush.
Todays mini-play-list includes
-The Star-Spangled Banner by Jimi Hendrix
Because it's patriotic in a way that shows how desperately one should fight for the oppressed and dying.
-American Music by Violent Femmes
Because it celebrates the good old American party-makes me think of tailgating, barbeques, summer concerts, arcades, drive-in movies and cruising down the coastline blasting the radio.
-Pink Houses by John Cougar Mellencamp
I love the image of "an interstate runnin through his front yard", something that seems purely US. Also, I grew up on a street coming right off an overpass and have craved living on busy streets ever since.
-America by Simon and Garfunkel
Perfect road trip song for obvious reasons, but also gives a slightly melancholy tone of trying to define who we are and where we're going. It is something universal, yet seems to show up more in American (and not just US) art, music, film and literature.
-In A Big Country by Big Country
Okay so they're Scottish but this song seems to fit the US better in my opinion-Scotland doesn't have deserts one would not expect to grow flowers in for example. Besides the US is a big country that has largely been built on other nations' influences and people and I like it for it's hopeful pioneer spirit. And this is my blog. So there.