We moved around quite a bit when I was a small child...it wasn't until we got to the small town of Belton that we stayed put and I got to grow up around amazing people. As I've said before, we picked up some extended family in and around our home. With family, traditions start to form easily. You find these little things that you enjoy so much that you go back again and again each year. One of those was the annual Fourth of July parade for our family.
Believe it or not, there are people all over the state of Texas that know about our small town parade...it's one of the best I've ever seen to this day. They come from all over to participate in festivities of the weekend. But even knowing that, I was still surprised to find that USA today actually included it in their 10 Great Places To Fly Your Patriotic Colors on July 4th article. I have to say that it made me feel extremely proud to see Belton, TX in that list...that feeling of “I came from there” swells up and I can't help smiling as the memories flood through my mind.
We would wake early and head down to the parade route to get a good seat...there were actually people who would sleep in their spots over night or would park their trucks, gate to the street, to ensure they got the best view. It was serious business picking your spot and some of the town actually had “their spots”, a family's favorite place of viewing the parade for years. We usually spread our blanket on the front lawn of First Baptist Church, but we weren't too picky, as long as we could see, we were happy. When the parade would start there were always cheers, clapping and smiling faces from everyone, especially the kids. The candy thrown from floats, the Marching 100 passing us by, the man with the lawn mower towing his family behind him in little red wagons...I could keep going with items/people that I remember as part of my favorite Fourth of July tradition.
Fourth of Julys in Texas, especially Belton, are something that I miss profoundly because of how special they always made it. Our nation's birthday was celebrated to the utmost...I was left knowing exactly why I should have pride in America by growing up in a place where rodeo reigned supreme, there was always some fun at the Festival on Nolan Creek and the Belton parade showed us all what patriotism and good old family fun was supposed to be. I've never found another place that could live up to the memories that my hometown has given to me...I enjoy the fireworks, family fun and friendship that I participate in outside of my home state, don't get me wrong, but nothing beats out those memories.
So what are some of YOUR favorite memories of our country's birthday? Please, feel free to tell me in the comments section what has always given you a sense of pride in our nation.
No comments:
Post a Comment