The Flag Waiver Inside . . . .

Just got back from the fireworks. It was all and all a good time. The son didn't really want to listen and has lost his video games and cartoons for tomorrow. At one point three of us had out car stereos on and tuned to a radio station synched to the fireworks playing patriotic music. It used to be nearly every station in town did this, now, I had to look for one. AND I only found one.

I was shocked for my need to have this music on the Fourth during the fireworks. I suppose there is nothing wrong with it. In fact, it is probably a throw back to a way it is supposed to be. Because my dad was a vet? I don't know. I just know the fireworks were not the same until I found that kind of music and had it with my fireworks. There are cynics that would say that I am brainwashed by the Industry to think that I need to have that. I won't accept that.

The finale and the final song was "God Bless The USA" Lee Greenwood. That song is an emotional gimme. It is going to tug on the heart strings and the radio station programmers know that. It is a special song to me because I was working at a radio station after 9/11 and I took requests from people. I will never forget the emotion and the stories as people requested that song and others like it. After the finale, they played the National Anthem. Several people stood in their spots, hands over their hearts, looking at the smoke filled sky where the fireworks were so massive only moments before. These people were standing there singing the National Anthem. They knew that it probably meant another ten minutes in traffic, but it didn't matter. Tonight that marked another moment in time that I will not soon forget. Red state, blue state, doesn't matter. That was flat out a cool moment.