Dud Report

So the 4th of July was about 10 days ago and now here's a report. Like a fireworks dud, it's late. It remains to be seen if it's a dud in more ways than one.

We moved into the city in January from the county where fireworks are not only legal, they are revered. Worship usually began there during the second week in June. Some enthusiastic adherants conducted services until well after 11 pm nightly. This would continue until the 4th and beyond. It is also clear that there are other acceptable seasons during which a county resident may express his faith such as Christmas, New Years, the Super Bowl to name a few, however the guidelines proscribing these observances are less than clear.

This year was entirely different. We now live in city limits where fireworks are illegal. I heard, at the most, a half dozen reports from bottle rockets and such. So very quiet!

A large church (mega!) in our area puts on a big display every year at the Springfield Underground. We went one time and I'll never go again. Mind you the display is great - the best I've ever seen. But the parking and the finding a spot (in the sun!) to sit and wait and the sweat and the humanity and the garbled music and announcements and the traffic to leave - oy! This guy, again, never. However, the park across the street from my new house provides a nearly unobstructed view of this very same fireworks display. So, I sat in my air conditioned home until about ten minutes until the fireworks were to be shot. My wife and I grabbed lawn chairs and walked up the street. Less than five minutes later we were seated comfortably in an ideal location. We waited for the show. The show began. We saw it all. Approximately 15 minutes later we walked home. We were home before hundreds of people, who saw the exact same show, had their cooler repacked.

That's what I call Independence!