July 5th's Pictures Very Moving!

The spirit of the 4th of July was on display today in the local paper. After seeing the pictures it really hit me about all that is important in a modern 4th celebration and why.

Not the original 4th when our founders decided to take on many many hardships to overcome the British Empire to gain our freedom but what they foresaw the 4th could eventually be. The freedom to celebrate with family and friends. No, the only outdoor grilling then was probably rabbit on a spit over a open fire. There was no such thing as a fishing derby or a harmless fireworks display. The 4th had an entirely different meaning then and I'm proud that we continue to be the leader of the free world and a beacon of hope to others.

What my friend captured in those pictures is nothing short of beauty and majesty:
1. A child with a flag painted on his forehead.
2. Two fish on a bridge that crosses the park lake...er...pond.
3. A child with a sparkler.
4. A massive aerial fireworks display with the bridge in the lower third of the picture and reflections on the water.
5. A nine year old in a seed spitting contest.

What was captured in these pictures....well it is immortal. It is the spirit of the 4th made manifest and tangible. Anyone who knows me knows that I get choked up kind of easily when I get emotional and I had to really compose myself this morning when I saw these pictures.

Now what I can also tell you is what my friend will probably tell me after she reads this, "Why do you always like my worst shots?" She will then probably tell me about the technical aspects of them and how she could have made them much better after seeing them in the paper.

Well I can't argue that since still photography is something that is still kind of alien to me. I have no training in that and she is probably right in everything she will tell me about them...in a technical aspect.

I'll probably respond by saying, "No one since Norman Rockwell has captured that kind of feeling in me in still life, and I am grateful anyway. Thank you."