July 4th and the Idle Minds

I enjoy the feelings of patriotism that is invoked each 4th of July. I think about what courage it must have taken to break away from a known entity, the supplier of goods and trade, in order to set up an entirely new country. It amazes me that this even happened and that it turned out as well as it has (some moments better than others--but I have the right to write this because of what happened). It also amazes me what happens in my neighborhood each year.

I live right next to the pool. From my front door to the pool fence is 15 feet. I'm closer than any other family in the tract. It is a tiny 12 1/2 yard pool that is 5 yards wide. Just a big rectangle with water. No diving board, no slide, just water. I get to live with all of the riff-raff that goes on at the pool whether I want to or not.

For the last four or so years, people in the tract have organized a party for the 4th. It involves roasting a pig, playing badminton and croquet, and wading through the morass of side dishes that wander in from those who show up. Of course all of this takes place right at the pool. Right outside my door. Start time for set up 7:00 am. Clean up time, well after I've gone to bed.

My neighbors are good people. They mean no harm and really are just looking to bring the community and their other friends together to celebrate the reason we get to have parties like this in the first place. I just don't want to hear about it anymore. They start their planning months in advance, no joking, on where to set up this or that, how long the pig might take to roast this time and whether there will be enough food and drink for everyone. It becomes the only topic of conversation from late May until the blessed event.

We have gone out of our way to participate and not participate over the years. We don't really enjoy the loud noise, excessive drinking, numbers of people, or trust the quality of the cooking (we just aren't into food poisoning). Not to mention the constant walking into my backyard by people searching for the shuttlecock that they have hit out of the "court" (the fence has been blown down recently used for the court--they are making a new post-in-a-bucket to continue).

We don't voice our objections to the party. We have celebrated other places, have left early, have simply gone inside when we were done (the good part is we do live close enough to do all of those things whenever we want). I overheard them talking about the party at the pool today. The topic that I thought interesting was not about the size of the pig (100 lbs--too much, too hard to cook evenly, will never be done on time), nor the new post system for badminton, what got my attention was the fact that the board does not see this as necessarily the greatest activity for the whole of the community. I'm on the fence. Being the homeowner who is most impacted (and has never been asked about my opinion on the party itself) I want to say "make it go away". Being someone who understands the importance of the day itself, the real meaning of the struggle this country has faced to become what it is, and the struggle it faces to keep moving forward, I want to say "keep on going".

The 4th will come and go. I'll donate blood in the morning and get my T-shirt. I'll come out to the party for awhile here and there (mostly to watch my own kids), and I'll climb back into my house when I want and as often as I want. All of this is good news.