Community Corner

What Fourth of July Means to a Local Greendaler

Lynne of Greendale sent in her response to the question.

What does 4th of July mean to you?

Forty-five years ago life was grand in the Village of Greendale and worries were minimal.  As a child raised in Greendale from the age of four I loved it here.  The anticipation of the July 4th parade was one of my best memories. 

For weeks before the event we (my sisters and I) would begin decorating our bikes for the parade.  Trying something new each day and hoping it wouldn't fall off the bike.  Questioning whether or not to clothespin a playing card to the spokes from the new deck Mom just bought?  Will the crape paper hold up better this year in the rain?  Will I be able to ride the whole parade route or will I have to get off and walk it because I'm too tired?  The big day would finally come around and we would line up in the parking lot. Maybe my memory isn't what it use to be but I swear it was 120 degrees every 4th of July.  We would attempt that ride but always seemed to walk the bikes before we even made it to Broad Street. Then, when the Village Hall was within sight we would somehow muster up the strength to get back on those bikes to finish up strong so that we could partake in the wonderful ice cream treat in the back of . I loved the taste of ice cream off that wooden paddle!  

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We would head home after that and relax until the time of the fireworks.  Mom would always make us go to bed at 7:00 and promised us she would wake us in time for the fireworks.  She did have 10 children so I'm not so sure it was because we were tired but more because she needed a rest.  At 9:00 she would wake us (hmmm I must have been tired) and we would head outside.  There Dad would be, standing at the bottom of the ladder.  With a smile on his face one by one we would head up that ladder to the roof where we would wait for that first sign that they were beginning the fireworks. 

There was always that first huge boom that nearly knocked you off the roof.  We would lay there watching those fireworks with a lot of ohhhs and ahhhs.  Now, I have raised my children in the same house I grew up in and Greendale is much greener and trees are much taller and watching fireworks from the roof isn't "safe".  So, every year the kids and I slather on the bug spray, walk over to Walgreen's for a cold drink, search for our perfect viewing spot for the fireworks and wait for that first sign, that huge boom that could still knock you off the roof and we watch with ohhhs and ahhhs.  

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Great memories!

Lynne


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