The 4th of July, 1976 (Revisited)
(image via wikimedia)
Even though I don’t remember most holidays from childhood, I vividly remember the 4th of July of 1976. I was ten years old, and the United States was turning 200.
The United States had just gone through the Vietnam War and Watergate and there was a presidential election coming up, but there was no internet or cable news or social media, so people didn’t get consumed by all that stuff as much (and if they did, we didn’t see it). We just got consumed by other stuff.
The 4th of July isn’t my favorite holiday. It’s probably not even in my top five. But I remember this particular July 4th of 1976 more clearly then I do any other holiday. I have such a fond memory of it that I wrote a story about it a few years ago, and now I post the story every 4th of July (if I remember to do it… sometimes I forget). My title might be a little lazy, but at least it tells you what the story is going to be about.
4th of July Story
I was 10 when the United States turned 200 years old. It was a big deal back then, but at the time, the meaning of the 4th of July was lost on me. As an adult, I understand July 4th is the annual celebration of the signing and approval of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress.
I understand how important the following sentence from The Declaration of Independence is:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
That one sentence had a bunch of concepts that were unique way back in 1776.
The Declaration of Independence is also known for John Hancock’s really big signature. As an adult, I appreciate how momentous the signing of that document was and how it began the process of liberating the colonies and forming one of the greatest nations in the world. I appreciate John Hancock’s really big signature. I even remember a couple jokes about how a guy named John Hancock had a really big signature.
When I was a kid, I didn’t understand all this, including the John Hancock jokes. Back when I was 10, the 4th of July was about shooting off fireworks. And 1976 was a great year to shoot off fireworks.
Read more at 4th of July Story: The Box of M-80s
Dysfunctional Literacy 