Be in America for July 4th

“At around 9 PM, we said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa and drove off to the High School for the fireworks show. The night was chilly, so we spread sleeping bags on the grass so we could sit on them. Groups of people loitered around, waiting for the show to start at 10 pm. The smell of grilled hot dogs and burgers wafted throughout the school from a food cart, and rock and roll music vibrated from the speakers next to a band. [...] Giant, booming comments lit up the sky. Some were like giant spiderwebs or lace, weaving through the sky, others were like dandelions, poofing off in a shower of multicolored sparks. Big fireworks are divided into smaller ones, some swirled across the sky like a Chinese dancer’s ribbon. Hues of gold, silver, red, white, blue, green, peach, and pink illuminated the sky. Big booms vibrated through the sky and made my heart ram against my ribs. The ground shook under me.”

“As the sun started to set, casting shadows across Elba, people started to gather downtown all over the square. Booths were set up at almost every corner available. Flags and banners in red, white, and blue hung from the street poles all over town. String lights stretching from the street poles toward a central point created a spiral over the downtown square. It was unlike anything I have seen before. The crowd gathered on the sidewalks with their chairs, stools, and blankets preparing for an exciting evening ahead. Everyone was dressed patriotically, transforming the square into a huge American mosaic.”

“I felt like a citizen of the city even though I have only been living here as a Living Democracy student for six weeks. I saw many familiar faces, met new people, and everyone was so friendly and welcoming. Let Freedom Ring was definitely an exciting event for Elba. The night concluded with a massive, colorful, exciting 13-minute fireworks show that left the crowd in awe. Firework after firework kept our gaze in sync as no one wanted to miss a single blast of light.”