After celebrating “the 4th” semi-privately, the family and I went to a resort for a few days, in anticipation of the advertised brilliant fireworks display on their grounds the following Saturday. There were NO public celebrations anywhere in the area on the holiday itself!

Anyway, we stayed in the hotel for a couple of days, had a wonderfully restful time, and geared up for one heck of a patriotic observance on Saturday night. I had all my patriotic “gear” on… You can’t have too many flags, as I always say.

So, anyway, people were assembling at the bottom of a hill at the appointed time, so down we went. The smell of weed permiated the air in various spots along the way, eminating from scattered groups of people who were not hotel guests or even “locals.” While waiting for the show to begin, we were told that a reggae band would be providing the entertainment.

The band played what one would expect a reggae band to play - reggae music - and the fireworks began. It WAS a brilliant display (one of the best I’ve ever seen on that scale), and somewhere toward the end - if you listened very carefully - you could faintly hear Hendrix’ version of the National Anthem. Then there were police everywhere, the crowd dispersed, and the night was over.

I told the head of recreation at the hotel of our dissatisfaction, calling his attention to the pot-heads and the presence of families with young children, the necessity of police, the perplexing choice of entertainment, and the absence of any explicit reference to this as a patriotic observance (aside from the three-minutes of faint background music by the Hendrix impersonator). “If you want a Carribean Festival,” I asked him, “why don’t you just have one? As for tonight, we were supposed to be celebrating the 4th of July.” Not the faintest hint of comprehension.

I think I’ll go find a Carribean Festival this Summer… Do you think my traditional rendition of “God Bless America” will be well received?

God bless the USA.

Cocol