A Capitol Fourth

Neither of us had ever seen the fourth of July fireworks on the Mall, so we could not pass at this chance. Two or so hours before dark, subway sandwiches in tow, we set out to stake our claim to a piece of real estate on the west lawn of the Capitol building. We could see a corner of the stage through a gap in the trees, and with a bit of neck craning, we could see the performers during their introductions. We gave up trying to see once a mom sitting in front of us stood up and started dancing to Barry Manilow. We could hear well and watched the rest of the show on a jumbotron suspended above the stage.



Redheaded girls with matching ribbons and patriotic dresses, dad in a sport coat and khakis off to watch the fireworks. Aly finds daily examples of east coast class. We couldn't pass on taking a photo here, even without permission. I'm glad the photo came out, as we were jogging across the street to beat the crosswalk clock.

The Capitol surrounded by green.

As the concert entered its final stages, I became uneasy with the number of folks I saw packing up their things and leaving. Aretha was still belting out RESPECT, and folks were trickling toward the exits. I wondered if they were trying to beat traffic, like the blokes you see skipping out on the closing hymn and prayer in general conference. I'd asked two security guards earlier where they thought it best to watch the fireworks. One suggested heading over to 3rd street, but the other said that most people stayed right where they were. My family reported that in years past they had had a good view of the fireworks from the Capitol lawn itself.

So, we decided to ignore the growing throng of emigrants and stay put. No need to stumble through a crowd if we already had a good view of the show.

Seconds later, we were ambushed by the first fireworks of the night. To our surprise, the brilliant reds and blues were partially or entirely blackened by another line of trees. We jumped to our feet as the entire section around us, similarly upset with the view, sprang to life. We, along with what seemed like everyone around us, grabbed blankets and backpacks and took off running.

We found ourselves in the middle of a stampeding herd. The sound of cannon fire ripped from across the Capitol reflecting pool as we ran toward it, adding a frenzied air to our run. The crowd spilled into the streets, stomped over one of those thin plastic mesh barriers, and into a field adjacent to the Mall. Some guys were doing army rolls; others shouted orders to pretend platoons.

We found 3rd street, went a little farther, and made it to the right strip of grass. The Washington Monument and the fireworks show came into full view.

I was just a kid getting a kick out of running through a field with cannons blasting behind me and fireworks bursting overhead. I am grateful that men and women were and are willing to run into actual danger to defend freedom.