Memories of the 4th

Myrna Blyth shares her memories of past Independence Day celebrations in National Review.

Taking a page from Myrna...my earliest memory of the 4th is of hiding under the kitchen table because I was afraid of fireworks. :) That fear didn't last long. We live in a city where street fireworks are still legal, and I have to admit I love them. There is something about the smell that says "Independence Day" to me like nothing else.

During my college years I spent some Independence Days working at Disneyland, one of its busiest days of the year. I especially loved Electrical Parade duty -- each restaurant and attraction would send a Cast Member to help with parade security, which meant that the parade route was staffed with CM's in every kind of costume imaginable. It was also a great spot from which to see Disneyland's "Fantasy in the Sky" fireworks.

In more recent years, I've sometimes spent the night of the 4th sitting on our roof with our children, from where we can see Disneyland's fireworks!

Last year was one of our best Independence Days ever, spent in the High Sierra town of Bridgeport, California. Bridgeport is a very special place, which claims to have the oldest continuous 4th of July celebration in the United States. It was wonderful, starting with a parade down Main Street in the morning and ending with fireworks over the airport that night:


We hope to celebrate Independence Day in Bridgeport again soon.