Voices of MainStreet: Lisa Rae Rosenberg

Small Town Magic
June 24, 2011

My family and I live in a small town, wrapped in a sprawling city. The Fourth of July is celebrated here in a big, but small town way.

The morning of the fourth begins with a pancake breakfast at the fire station. Then at noon, the parade begins. Next is a giant picnic. Once the sun goes down, there is a fireworks show at the high school football field. I love it all.

Last year our son walked in the parade with some other kids from his pre-school. Before the parade, we lined up by the library and the children applied finishing decorative touches to their bikes and wagons. With streamers flying, we joined in the lineup with the police cars, the middle school marching band, the convertible carrying the mayor and a group of older gentlemen on bicycles.

As we walked through the center of town, the pre-schoolers started drifting. One drove her scooter up a curb and decided to sit out the rest of the parade. One waved and blew kisses at his public for the entire route. A friend’s daughter had an inexplicable crying meltdown halfway through, resulting in her dad carrying her and me carrying her tricycle. Our son “ran out of all the energy” early on, so my husband pushed the guy and his training wheels most of the way. It was perfect.

I’m looking forward to lying on a blanket on the football field at twilight again this year and watching my child as he watches the magic happen in the sky.

God bless America.

—Lisa is a former comedy writer for television. She now writes about her funny family at her blog Smacksy.com.