After the 4th Comes the 5th

I was raised in a small town north of Chicago called Libertyville. It had a park in front of the library, which was housed in an old mansion. The park was the center of town.

Every 4^th of July, there was a parade of kids in costumes along with the marching bands and horses who marched around this town square. The participants were judged and the winners of each category were given a silver dollar.

One year, we won. My dad came up with the theme: After the 4^th comes the 5^th. We were a firecracker who led the way behind the sign, a large fifth of bourbon and a huge cocktail glass. All were made out of cardboard and my brother held the sign to explain our theme. The judges were roaring with laughter.

Small town America.