Kansas in Texas

We spent the 4th of July at Independence Fest in Flower Mound, TX, where we got to see Kansas play for FREE. I enjoyed feeling like a hippie at a music festival, I relished the summer perfection of my snow-cone and hand-dipped corn-dog, and I sang, stomped, clapped and stared, slack-jawed, during the amazing Kansas concert.

 When Kansas finally played "Carry on my Wayward Son" as their encore, something magical happened: all the fireworks displays of the neighboring towns started up at the same time. There we were, a crowd of 20,000, on our feet singing along to Kansas, while beautiful bursts of color exploded all around us.

I usually spend my Independence Day in a low-key family gathering, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed spending the holiday in a crowd of fellow Americans. If there's ever a time to get out among your fellow country-men, it's the 4th of July, and the fireworks display that closed our evening was somehow more magical because we were all experiencing it together. I even sang along on "God Bless the USA," and Katy Perry's "Firework." I must have truly been experiencing the euphoric pressure of mob mentality to do that -- but in a good way. Also, I enjoyed the people-watching in general. It's amazing how many different ways there are to wear some version of the stars and stripes.

I hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th.