A Canadians Reflections of America's most beloved Day -- the 4th of July.
Chickasha, Oklahoma,
July 4, 1992 -- It’s 8:10 a.m. on a Saturday morning ... the Fourth of July ... beating down a backroad south of
Oklahoma City in a jeep with the roof off ... 84 degrees on a real thermometer (Not Celsius) ... Alan Jackson and
Vince Gill playing kind of loud on the radio ..coffee at 50 cents for a large ... Camels .. no filter at a buck
and a half a pack ... better than $5.13 at home ... and matches, ...... no charge.
Gas is a dollar twenty a gallon ... certainly beats $2.60 at the pumps in Canada.
It can’t get any better than this.
Oh yes .. it can...
It’s 4th of July Weekend in the United States of America. And the nation is on hold ... it’s citizens
have called “time out”—they are celebrating their nation. Nothing gets in the way of Independence Day. Everyone,
everywhere, is in a good mood.
The lady behind the counter at the “This’N’That” at the corner of US81 and Country Club Road
said “good morning” as I entered her store and wished me a happy “fourth” as I left ...and she
sounded like she meant it.
...8:30 a.m., back at the house of the good friend I’m visiting with, Lieut. Stewart Meyer of the
Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The van is being loaded. Stewart, his wife Beth Ann, daughter
Christy, son Craig, myself and my daughter Rochelle, are off to Oklahoma City to see the 4th
of July parade at 10.
What a parade ... led by sheriff’s deputies on horseback ...Oklahoma’s City Police mounted unit
wearing Stetsons .. hundreds of marching kids ... the best and the brightest .. the future of
every community... lots of bands, beauty queens, floats ... and most important ... the
symbolism of the “4th” ...the men and women who keep it happening for America ... her armed
forces; the US Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, the American Legion and the
VFW.
Many, many sincere and loud cheers for marching veterans, so many showing the scars of the
contribution they made ... so many getting on in years .. their contingent becoming smaller each
year. The veterans received the thanks they were due from the onlookers today, but there was a
tronger and more emotional outpouring from the thousands who lined the Oklahoma City streets
when a float passed by asking all to keep alive the memories, faces and names of POW’s and
MIA’s ... the Missing In Action .. at last count still over two thousand.
You could feel a chill go through the crowd as the float passed by. Americans have not forgotten
their missing servicemen who are not here today. These missing men cannot speak for
themselves—but they were loudly heard today. Americans strongly believe many servicemen are still
alive in captivity in Vietnam. They want their politicians to get off the stick and do something, but
the politicians weren’t there today to listen or feel the emotion ... unfortunately.
(A Canadian is listed with the Americans as a Vietnam MIA. He’s remembered as well. Ten
thousand Canadians fought with US servicemen during the Vietnam War)
Last night the air here in Chickasha (Chick-A-Shay) was thick with the smell of holiday weekend
fireworks. This afternoon it sounds like a war zone. Down the road six pickups are spread out
across a backyard. John Anderson is wailing from a tapedeck, Bud cans are popping as
horseshoes clank over the chatter, laughs and screams of playing children.
Barbecues sizzle and smoke. Families are tight here. Family’s Family. America is on hold as a
nation of patriotic people come together to celebrate their country’s birthday.
It’s comfortable. We Canadians get a warm welcome everywhere we’re introduced as being from
“away” or from out of country.
Yes, we had a good 4th of July. And, we had a good First— Canada’s national holiday. We left
home on the 30th of June, brought our own Maple Leaf flag and set it up. It flew on the first. And
it flew on the Fourth.
At the end of this holiday day, we Canadians see quite a contrast to back home national day
celebrations... July 1st for most is celebrated as just a day off from work with pay.
We could learn a few things from the people down here in the southwest in what is affectionately
known as the “Heartland”. Back home we have soldiers, sailors and airmen—past and present—who
deserve more appreciation on July 1st, November 11 and everyday. And, we have a country that
deserves a little more love and attention. She’s earned it.
(rtj, Dick James)
A Texas T-Shirt by Dick James
14 August, 1993
ALL THIS FOR A TEXAS T-SHIRT ???
Jack's Fina is next door to Ramona's Beauty Salon on South US-81. Three pumps - unleaded, super unleaded and diesel. Unleaded is $1.12 a gallon. The station is four-by-eight. Jack, his chair and cashbox are squeezed in between flats of Doctor Pepper and Diet Pepsi. The floor's dirt.
Up slowly from the chair, Jack slides up to the jeep and drawls "it's 96'. Nice day for a ruff off. Can I git you somethin' ?"
Ten dollars brought the tank up to three quarters full.
"Am I in Texas yet?"
"You wuz in Texas fives back when you crossed the Red River. Uze in Ringgold, Texas, now."
Jack checks my vehicle plates, then asks: "you from Oklahoma?"
"No, the jeep is borrowed. I'm from Nova Scotia, Canada."
"I wudn't know where that wuz. Guess it's that way."
He points off to the left toward California.
"Where can I get a t-shirt that says Texas on it?"
"You cud go to Bowie 'bout 18 miles straight down the road. You cud get you ah t-shirt there. Or you cud go into Ringgold but they probably don't got any t-shirts. Bowe'd have some though. Yeah, Bowie would."
Grab a 20-ounce Diet Pepsi from Jack for 69 cents and hit the road for Bowie - named after the man who invented the wide blade knife. First thing I see in town is a police car with a big knife painted on the door.
"Officer, can you tell me where I'd get a t-shirt that says Texas on it?"
"Where you from?"
"Nova Scotia, Canada."
"I ran into one of your citizens from Nova Scotia last week."
"What did he do?"
"Speeding."
"He's not going to pay that one."
"I know, that's why ah jus give heem a warning." "You can likely get you a t-shirt at the Wal-Mart ...it's just uhp the road a bit."
Off to the Wal-Mart. No shirt, but got a 20-ounce Diet Coke for 79 cents. Up on Texas I-82 heading westbound. Hit a mom and pop gas pumps and convenience store. "I'm looking for a t- shirt that says Texas on it."
"Can't hilp you there. We got some homemade earrings though that my husband carved out of wood, shape 'a Texas. They sell real good to tourists." "Our daughter runs a truck stop 20 miles over in Henrietta. She got some shirts."
Half hour later -- "Ahm real sooorry, sold the last one this morning. You could try Wichita Falls ... just over there."
"Over there" is 30 more miles.
Wichita Falls is not a 4-way stop. It's a city. Roll into it at 2 p.m. and don't move or blink on a 4-lane 60-mph street that carries me right through town ... didn't see a thing ... 98', turn into a beautiful Texas visitor information bureau where there's a lady standing in the middle of the entrance road shooting video pictures of what must be her better half who is posing by a river full of muddy brown dirty water. Stop 'til they are finished with their pictures.
The mancomes up to the jeep to say thanks for waiting .. says he and his wife are science teachers who've been out of state at a conference.
"We're Texans at heart and proud to be home," he says. "Thanks for waitin' on us ... where you from?"
"Canada."
The man sticks out his hand ... flashes a big howdy smile and says "Congratulations."
I'm not certain what to say to something like that. I just mutter a social pleasantry such as Have a Nice Day and slide back into the jeep pop the transmission into reverse and hit the road. I'll ask somewhere else down the road about a t- shirt.
First turn puts me on I-44. Drive and sweat in the heat. Grabbed the last of my Diet Coke from the back seat burned my lips.
Keep driving. Twenty minutes later up ahead on the left is a service centre and country store.
Bingo !! ... a Texas t-shirt ... $7.15 including taxes and another 20-ounce Diet Coke.
The sales slip says the country store is in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Keep checking back, and let us know if you enjoy the stories, moments of refection, or just our way of saying --
hey, listen while I spin a little tale for you, some true, some not.
rtj@masonic.org
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