Growing Up on the Fourth of July: Gen X Summer Memories
Growing Up on the Fourth of July: Why Gen X Childhood Memories Still Matter
With the Fourth of July weekend here, I started thinking about how different it was when we were kids.
Back then, summer holidays seemed simple.
You'd wake up, ride your bike around the neighborhood, and somehow everyone just knew where everyone else was.
No texting.
No GPS.
No "share your location."
Just a bunch of kids disappearing for hours and showing back up when the streetlights came on.
There was always that one neighbor grilling burgers.
Someone had a cooler full of pop.
The dads would argue about sports.
The moms would talk about everything.
And us kids?
We'd spend the entire day waiting for it to get dark so we could finally light sparklers and watch the fireworks.
I don't remember what anybody wore.
I don't remember what kind of car people drove.
And I certainly don't remember what anybody did for a living.
But I do remember feeling safe.
I remember laughter.
I remember staying outside until late and not wanting the day to end.
Funny how some of the things we thought were ordinary ended up becoming some of our favorite memories.
Makes me appreciate the simple moments a little more these days.
Hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend and gets to spend some time making memories with the people who matter most.
And for my fellow Gen Xers…
Did anybody else drink out of the garden hose and somehow survive?
Cameron L Proulx
