It’s finally here the time of year we all love! SUMMER! I cannot believe that June is just a blink away! (And when you read this, it will be over) However, that leads us to the weekend many of us have been looking forward to… the 4th of July weekend!

I never was a big 4th of July weekend kind of person, however between being part of the community and working for the newspaper it seems it has become more and more significant to me. I shouldn’t say I’m not a big 4th person, but I just don’t recall ever making a big fuss as to celebrate it. Other then getting to buy a handful of bottle rockets and fire crackers! Which of course, more or less my siblings and I would torment each other with! There was the year that somebody had the bright idea to put all the firecrackers in one bowl – you know pull them apart thinking, “Oh they’ll be easy to grab this way!” When one should have been thinking, “Or this is a great way for a spark to get in the bowl and set the whole works up in a matter of minutes!” Ha! Good times either way!

If there is one thing not missing from my wardrobe it’s patriotic apparel. Sweatshirts, scares, skirt, blouses, tank top, jewelry and even shoes! I love seeing all of the flags downtown ready for the festivities to get underway!

As for the flag itself, I take great pride in it. I don’t know why, but I can’t help but get a little sentimental when I look at it. It’s subconscious really, knowing what it represents-the men and women that fought so hard for our country. When I think about it, it’s hard to wrap my head around it, because our country seems to be in such chaos these days. They fought hard so we could choose what bathrooms we use, who and what we love – such nonsense to me. They fought for their religion, freedom and morals.

This is why I enjoy the world of newspapers. The Civil Rights movement is what intrigued me to get into photojournalism. The images at this time were some of the first that were put in front of people to truly show everyday folks what was going on outside their doors or across the states. The images were often graphic. Now, we have the “breakfast rule” for putting images on covers – will it make someone “lose” their Cheerios? We’ve become so soft, but yet so hard and mean. Why? Seems we are often fighting against ourselves just as much as anyone outside of our country. As we celebrate with grilled hot dogs and cold beverages, let’s all take a time to remember what it’s all truly for.

As I type this, I look up to see a framed picture adorned with a United States flag (the same picture hangs in my grandma’s house) and it makes me know where I stand. I have great pride for our vets and country and will be wearing my patriotic colors, stars and strips with pride this weekend! Have a safe and proud holiday! Cheers!