Blonde curly hair waiving a flag from her tricycle. Sparklers spun, and red white and blue popsicles or vanilla bars with a thin crunchy glaze and flag colored sprinkles. The pool in our backyard is assembled. I am wearing a halter top. It is a few days before my birthday of more ice cream, cakes and goodies, but there will be presents, too. I am innocent, I know nothing of massacres and slavery. My father came here fleeing from bad people and so did my mother’s parents. I love going to school and learning to read. I’m not sure when I learned the other truths (the ABCs of civilization); when was the moment I first started to understand beyond the black man who turned on and off the lights at the synagogue on the Sabbath. And human trafficking still goes on.
I wish what you say were not true. I was blinded from these truths for many years, but know there are many who know this to be true and slowly, we are progressing.
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I don’t know what happened this year, but I always loved the 4th and the fireworks. This year I just remembered how innocent I was on the 4th as a child, and I felt betrayed. I wanted to honor that feeling and not just stuff it in a shoebox.
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It is easy for that to happen…………sometimes for lifetimes.
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