No place quite channels July 4 vibes like this most American institution
Like plenty of people reaching for a cliché, “this ain’t my first rodeo” is something I’ve said from time to time. But two years ago, it was — and I’ve been hooked ever since.
I grew up in the 1980s in the midwest (think Stranger Thingswithout the monsters), where the annual Fourth of July parade was a favorite neighborhood tradition. I have memories of decorating my Schwinn with red, white and blue streamers and waving to cheering families along the route. Those parades held a carefree joy that came not only with childhood, but with the feeling of community and patriotic pride.
In my adult years, the parades faded and July 4 became less about pageantry and more about a day off of work…