On the day of our independence, what does one do? This is of particular importance to me, since I am potentially a descendant of the most famous signer of the Declaration of Independence (although more likely am the descendant of some crazy criminal-type - that would surely explain a lot).
When I think of the 4th of July, I think of swimming pools or lakes or rivers, fireworks (which we probably stole from Guy Fawkes Night), homemade ice cream, and watermelon. I don't really know how watermelon entered the picture, since I don't really have any memories of eating watermelon at a 4th celebration, but there it is, and the day won't be complete until I have half a melon. Yes, half. Once my brother and I had a contest to see who could eat the closest to the rind on a watermelon. I don't remember who won, but if memory serves me correctly, we ended in a tie after both of us got sick. But I digress yet again.
This morning I had hoped to get the day started off with a Bang! by going to BodyPump class. BodyPump started at 9:30 and continued until 10:30. As you may note by the timing of this post, I did not quite make it. We drank champagne last night and neither my head nor my stomach were really very excited about BodyPump so early in the morning. I will perhaps head to the gym later on, but am sort of feeling "eh" about it.
As for the swimming pool/lake/river, we will have to settle on trespassing at a local apartment pool and crossing our fingers that there won't be too many screaming chillins in their 4th of July glory. I guess, though, that beggers can't be choosers. We could've driven 10 hours to the lake to hang out with friends, but opted instead to save on gas, food, and our relationship (because really, who likes each other after 10 consecutive hours in a small confined space?).
Tonight there will be fireworks in the local park, but I can't help but feel they will be inadequate to both the ones Josh, Greg, and Levi shot off the dock and the ones at Bishop Park every year. C'est la vie.
Due to increased consumption of all foods bad for me, today I think I will avoid all ice cream, homemade or store bought. However, I may splurge on frozen yogurt if Arch's is open...topped with Oreos and hot fudge of course.
And then, there is the issue of the watermelon. My only goal on this front is not to eat enough so that I'll get sick. What with the champagne hangover and all, though, I'm not entirely sure this goal is viable. Again, keep fingers crossed.
*The title of this post refers to a song from a 5th grade play that goes "(insert original 13 colony) are you for independence? Are you for the pursuit of happiness? For life and liberty and Freedom......(same colony, very emphatically) Votes YES!" This play also had a song entitled "Goin' West." Some of the words to that song were "Goin west, in a covered wagon, get along mule, giddy up, giddy up! Spite of the danger, goin through Injun country..." I am proud to say that even at 10 I was offended by "Injun country." I wonder if the song has been changed?
12 comments:
Ah yes. . . the 5th grade play. In the song that goes, "So when you're spelling the word 'America,' don't forget to dot the 'i' for the inventors," I was the dot. At that point in the song, I ran up behind all the other kids holding big letters and bounced up and down behind the "i," holding the dot above my head. My parents must have been so proud.
If you did have the nifty accents then english people couldn't come over and feel like celebrities when surrounded by people asking them to say various things at parties.
Then again, at least you'd all pronounce the H in Herb.
"... goin' through Injun country, we're gonna cross the Cumberland Gap!" It is amazing how we remember that stuff from SO LONG ago!
Sometimes I still get the songs from that play stuck in my head. I remember my big number was in the Roaring Twenties era and, dress like a flapper, I sang, "Stocks are going UP! UP! UP! Doooowwwwwn." I learned the Charleston for that play. I also remember doing some sort of monologue thing about explorers with Lizzy. Maybe that was the lead in to Going West? In which I'm pretty sure I recall that Jeremy Varner and Julie Auwater had solos. Okay. I'll stop now. Thanks for the trip through Injun country, Nik.
Ah, memories. It didn't really say "Injun" country did it? I thought we all just sang it that way. Perhaps it did, I really wouldn't be surprised.
I didn't have a big part, but do rememeber each of you in yours -- Jenn -- I didn't remember that you were the dot, but I do remember the dot bouncing up and down very enthusiastically and the crowd had a good laugh! Ash -- I remember your flapper dress and long necklaces. I can tell you that they were still doing it when Emily came along, because we'd try to remember the words together whenever we'd get one of those catchy tunes stuck in our head.
Nik, as for your watermelon association, I believe you have to blame that one on Levi, at least partially. He seemed to bring them to the lake every year and we never really ate them, but he talked about them all the time (or more properly "wassamelon".) Katie brought one in his place this year and we talked about doing a "drunken" watermelon for Mama Megan, but it just didn't happen. And, sadly, we didn't even manage to shoot off fireworks, either! We're too old and boring. Your sneaking over to the pool sounds much more thrilling.
Hmmm. I may have to rethink my British accent desire if it means I have to pronounce the H in herb and tomato with the "ah" sound. silly.
As for the play, for some reason Goin West always comes to mind, but I definitely was in the flapper number as well. I'm eternally grateful to Megan for filling in the words after "Injun Country" because I couldn't remember. Now it is complete. So, besides these ridiculous songs, did we learn anything about the history of our country?
Nik,
OMG, I typed in the words to "Goin' West in a covered wagon....and found your blog. We did all these songs as part of our Bicentennial show in 6th grade (1976). Whenever my friend Jennifer and I get together we sing "Goin' West". I remember all of the songs from our show. It is so awesome to find other people who know them too. We went to Sacajawea Elementary School in Seattle, WA. Those were good times.
Thanks for bringing back some great memories!
Melissa
P.S. We sang it as Injun country also. It was not written that way.
Melissa
Like Melissa, I came upon your blog because I googled the words to my sixth grade play. Same as yours. 1976. Thank you so much for remembering more of the words than I could. I too, wonder if the words have been changed for this song. So much fun recalling performing this at Windermere Elementary in Columbus, Ohio!
Btw, googled words to that song because we are passing through the area of the Cumberland Gap in northeastern Tennessee. Cannot hear those words without the song coming through...happened yesterday in Virginia as well :-)
“Where man goes he carries his dreams with him. And with the early settlers, across 3,000 miles of lonely ocean, came the dreams of freedom. It landed in Jamestown and took root at Plymouth Rock. And as the colonies spread up and down the eastern seaboard, the dream traveled by horseback, by stagecoach, by flatboats going up river. It traveled to quilting parties, sewing bees, it traveled to Boston where they had a tea party. And finally on July 4th, 1776, the dream reached a hot, crowded Philadelphia courthouse.”
“The chair recognizes Roger Sherman, delegate from Connecticut.” “Connecticut, are you for independence? Are you for the pursuit of happiness? For life, liberty and freedom? Connecticut votes Yes!”
Our school did the play to in 1976 for the bicentennial. I was in the 5th grade. Each class in the school got 2 songs. My class did Goin’ West and, I think it was called, Turkey in the Straw… “Plowing, planting, spinning and sewing….. With an empty jug and a musical saw we danced the Turkey in the Straw. That’s the way that Ma got Pa. Dump diddly a da dump dump” Something like that… Anyway. I can remember being so mad because the Music teacher picked Yvette to sing the mother solo in Goin’ West and not me. Of course I thought I was the better singer!🤣 I remember a lot of the songs from the show. I remember the whole thing being a lot of fun. I think I even still have the flag that they gave each of us. Great Memories!
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