Back to the Fourth, back to the fun

In the past, our Spirit of America section has had a few light notes, but typically, it strikes a serious tone — perhaps because we tend to take ourselves a little seriously as Americans. 

Our planning session usually revolves around exploring lofty themes, such as freedom or liberty or our country’s heritage and values. But after a year-plus of few distractions, vacations or normalcy, we just couldn’t bring ourselves to do it. We could not be serious. 

So we decided to explore another important value Americans share: fun. Remember fun? After all, “the pursuit of happiness” was named as an inalienable right in the Declaration of Independence. And part of that pursuit is no doubt the ability to enjoy some levity as we return to normal. 

On the following pages, we dive into all kinds of things that bring us joy as Americans, especially as we celebrate our independence on the Fourth of July.

Our first section is focused on just that — celebrating the Fourth! Now that events are back this year, we have a full calendar of what’s going on in the area, from Siesta Key to Palmetto. And we are delighted to say that you’ll have a lot to choose from.

So much so that if you have trouble deciding, check out our handy flow chart on Page 12 to give you the flavor of what kind of event is right for you. 

One much-welcomed return this year is a smattering of fireworks displays to enjoy. If you’re one of the brave ones who likes to take pyrotechnics into your own hands, we provide some guidance on what your money will buy at area fireworks stands. 

And, because sometimes celebrations can get a little crazy, we present the Idiot’s Guide to the Fourth, to provide tongue-in-cheek advice of do’s and don’ts to enjoy your Fourth to the fullest — because there’s nothing like a late-night ER visit to dampen your celebratory spirit. 

The rest of the section is focused on the folks in our community and the traditions we share — or not — as well as a deep dive into why we love baseball so much and how the sport coined our national pastime continues to endure in our area.  

Last but not least, test your own meddle as an American by taking our quiz, which features questions from the U.S. citizenship exam. And don’t forget to watch the video on YourObserver.com to see how other people in the area answered. 

It is sure to make you laugh.