Friday, July 5, 2013

Morning After

Mt. Tabor Park needs a morning after pill to rid itself of last night's drunken passion. Beer bottles and cans litter fir needle covered earth, yards of red plastic "Danger Do Not Cross" tape blows in a gentle breeze, the smell of spent Chinese fireworks overcomes the scent of new mown grass, piles of trash sully the view. Abandoned empty cases of Corona and Bud roll around next to signs stating "no alcohol allowed."

I admit to sleep deprived crankiness this morning. The neighborhood snapped, crackled, and popped until the wee hours. Closing windows and shades failed to block out the excessive Independence Day celebration. Are we celebrating independence from sanity or does patriotic passion breed self absorbed slobs?

Gary and I enjoyed a modest celebration of our own last night without the need for explosive excess. I baked a pie with Marion berries from an elderly neighbor's garden, picked delicate leaves of lettuce for a salad, and foraged for raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries to share with a long time friend who is a 4th of July regular at our outdoor dinner table. We talked and laughed and ate surrounded by the sound of water bubbling from a fountain and a flower garden filled with an old fashioned summer bouquet.

I decided this morning to put my crankiness into words that might draw attention to the issue of American excess beyond a once a year orgy.  A pill won't expel the long term harm done by independence without responsibility.

1 comment:

  1. What a lovely tribute to the rights of mother earth. Celebrating Independence day with such a recklessness never much appealed to me. Nor do I understand why we need explosions that sound as though we're fighting the war all over again. Thanks for the post!

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