Memories of the 4th

Happy 4th of July everyone!!!!  I know that we all have memories of this holiday.  Some very "normal"....dare I say "traditional".  But as my friends say..."Normal is just a setting on the drier"(do they even have "normal" on driers anymore??!?!).  My normal...you must remember...is flavored by my "country" upbringing.  Country really doesn't describe it though.....I grew up in South Eastern Ohio along the WV boarder....in a town of 70 people in the middle of a forest.  Hillbilly may be more like it.  Well, my dad was a demolition derby driver(where they take old cars and smash 'em into each other).  Our summers were spent at county fairs all over the region(Who else has enjoyed elephant ears w/ some fresh squeezed lemon aid??).   It's funny...the story goes that dad got into demolition derbies because stock car racing was just too dangerous(almost took an ear off or something).    So every 4th of July we were somewhere for a demo!!  Dad was known as 8-BALL ED....and he was GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!  He and his best friend would double team everyone else...then would put on a hysterical show when it just got down to the two of them..chasing each other around the field and spraying mud over the crowd(maybe that is where I got some of my showmanship).  After the heats were over...and the finals through....the fireworks would start.  I don't know how they did it...but some of those county fairs put on amazing shows!!!!  I hated the noise(would cover my ears the whole time)...but loved the fireworks!!!  After they were through...we'd make the long trek home....half asleep....with a couple bags of goldfish in our hands..maybe a stuffed animal...sticky faces...dad's trophy between my sister and I.....and a mud caked car on the trailer in tow.  Maybe not the same 4th of July tradition you grew up with.....but it was all about family...being together...and remembering that we were free to be...however that might look.