Man
did we not have a great fireworks display here in Damascus, Virginia?
I mean glorious!
Lee Greenwood singing "God Bless The U.S.A." in the background
while the bombs were bursting in the air. "If tomorrow all the
things were gone I'd worked for all my life." KABOOM!!!
"And I had to start again, With just my children and my wife."
SNAP, CRACKLE, POP, BOOM!!!!
"I'd thank my lucky stars, To be living here today." WABAAMMM,
SCHOOOOOWISH, BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-POP!!!
"Cause the flag still stands for freedom, And they can't take
that away." KABAM-KABAM-KABAM!!!!
"And I'm proud to be an American,
Where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
Who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up,
Next to you and defend her still today.
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA."
BOOM!
By the time the display and music was over I don't think there was
a person in the whole crowd that was not moved.
Actually we had our Fourth of July on the Third of July in the Town
Park for the city of Damascus, Virginia. My faithful girlfriend and
I decided to take a stroll down there around 6 pm. As soon as we entered
the park boundaries the smell of food was wafting through the air
and my faithful beast of a girlfriend just about jerked my left arm
off as she she shot forward to the end of her collar!
Now I guess you guys are a wondering what is my girlfriend doing on
a collar in the first place? You see I transplanted myself here last
year in hillbilly country and I was lucky enough to snatch me a real
genuine hillbilly girl! But she's wild I tell ya, and I finally had
to collar her, and yeah even with a leash, to get her full undivided
attention which works for the most part until there is food wafting
in the air and then there is just no controlling her. She almost acts
like a dog to tell you the truth. Some women........... Sally is her
name by the way.
As we make our way around the growing crowd that had begun to assemble
we see familiar faces and stop to chat about a whole lot of nothing.
I notice children having the times of their lives just a running around
chasing each other playing games of tag.
As the children make their way near to where Sally and I are standing,
they stop and ask if it is okay to pet my girlfriend and I nod it
is okay. She's that kind of girl folks. Don't ask me why, she seems
to be a magnet for young folks, and even toddlers too. After they
are done petting her and her eating it all up while she is searching
their hands for a morsel of food, they depart and a new round of youngin's
show up to repeat the process all over again. Love has no boundaries,
nor limits.
The sun begins to set and the crowd of people has filled the park
to capacity. I didn't think there was this many people in all of Damascus,
Virginia and they tell me that many stayed home as it was?
I run into an acquaintance, Wendy. She offers me a chair to watch
the fireworks display. I notice Sally got instantly jealous over this
new woman, but as soon as Wendy offered her hand to pet her all jealousy
went right out the door. She loves to be petted folks, in fact I have
callouses on both hands because I have petted her so much! And now
you know why I waited to hook up with a girl until I was 47 years
old.
I plump my big fanny right into that chair and Sally lays down right
beside me on the ground. The band "Deja Vu" finishes their
last song and Johnny Blevins announces that we as a whole are about
to sing "The Star Bangled Banner."
We all rise to the occasion, even Sally and I and we all begin to
sing. I don't know how it moved anyone else in the crowd but as I
sang that familiar song I began to think about our current situation
in the world as America the Beautiful and what does our freedom actually
mean to me? And as Lee Greenwood sings about us being willing to defend
her still today? My answer is a most definite YES!
I love my country. A lot of young peoples blood has been spilled so
that I, and the many others here in this great land can live in relative
comfort. So that we can be free to be whoever it is that we want to
be. So that we can travel from one state to another without having
to stop at every border and show our passports. So that we can worship
any religion that we choose. So that we can disagree openly about
our political views and not worry about it. So that we can live side
by side with our neighbors who may have come to our land from another
continent and who has just become a naturalized citizen the lawful
way.
Yes, I love my country and I could go on and on about why I feel this
way. And I love this quaint little village, the town of Damascus,
nestled in the highlands of southwestern Virginia. Talk about freedom
to live where you want to live...........
As soon as the song is finished Sally and I return to our sitting
positions and the fireworks begin! The first rocket shoots skyward
and Sally becomes full alert! I never seen a woman's ears perk straight
up like hers did!
Then all at once another rocket shoots skyward and this time it explodes
with a sound that rocked the whole valley! Sally jumps from the ground
and into my arms as a third rocket goes off! When it explodes she
jumps out of my arms back down to the ground and under the chair I
am sitting on where she remains until the display is over with entirely
and Lee Greenwood quits singing "God Bless The U.S.A.!!!"
As Sally and I are departing the park with many people from the crowd
and head home she looks up at me and in her body language she tells
me that she loves me but "If you ever bring me to such an event
again I will personally chew your cotton picking leg off!" I
got the full message from her.
Larry Riddle 07-05-07
