Henrietta Hay's Column

Memory is selective, at least memory of things that happened 70 odd years ago. But one thing I do remember and that is the 4th of July.

My grandparents lived in Illinois and came to visit us each year in Englewood. For the benefit of my younger readers, that was the time period between covered wagons and jet planes. They came on the train. It was my grandfather who taught me how to spit watermelon seeds, but the high spot of each summer was the 4th of July. He would disappear and return with fireworks -- lots of fireworks. I would like to think he got them to entertain me, but I strongly suspect he was every bit as much excited by them as I was. I do wonder where he got them -- the hardware store, the drug store, the grocery store?

We took them out in the middle of the street and had a spectacular show -- spectacular to a little girl back in the twenties. I don't know what safety precautions were taken, but I never got burned.

The truly breathtaking displays we have today are beautiful, but they are not in a class with my memories. Wonder what my granddad would think of them now.

The 4th of July is the loudest and most exciting of our national holidays. Besides fireworks we have parades and band concerts and patriotic speeches and picnics and street dances.

George M. Cohan contributed a lot of excitement to the 4th of July with his patriotic songs, although now he is pretty much forgotten. He even changed his birthday from July 3 so he could sing, along with most of the rest of the country, "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy, Yankee Doodle do or die/ A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam, Born on the fourth of July."

Once in a while we even think a little bit about what we are celebrating, which is the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.

When my kids were young, a 4th of July tradition was listening to one of the recordings in an old 78 album called, "No Man is an Island -- a collection of immortal speeches on the interdependence of man," read by Orson Welles.

Our favorite was not so much about the interdependence of man as about the independence of men -- and women. Great oratory is nearly a thing of the past. Or perhaps speeches have to age a hundred years or so to become great. But combining the beautiful, rich voice of Orson Welles with Patrick Henry's flaming words makes any good American stand up straighter for a few minutes. "Is life so dear or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death."

For many years I have been celebrating the Fourth with my friend the philosopher and her family -- complete with hot dogs and fireworks. We all go to the big display in Lincoln Park and then put on our own private show. It was strictly for the benefit of the children, of course! Times have changed and the back yard shows are getting smaller and smaller. It is so inconsiderate of children to grow up and deny their elders the fun of pretending that the fireworks are for the kids.

Displays of fireworks are the number one way to celebrate Independence Day, but that's a modern use for them. The Chinese presumably invented them, and for centuries they were used for warfare. In the early days of our country, fireworks and the firing of cannon were included in the celebrations. Trouble was, they were pretty careless with the fireworks and they weren't too careful where they aimed the cannon, so a lot of people got hurt. Gradually the use of fireworks by individuals has had to be restricted. Too bad!

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Happy 4th.