Independence Day Here in the Heartland

This weekend we decorated a float and rode in the Haynes Apperson Festival Parade. I didn’t plan to write about this adventure because I’ve done past blogs about this event. There didn’t seem to be much point to snap a lot of pictures. I didn’t count on the glorious fireworks display that sparked my mind to think random thoughts on Independence Day Here in the Heartland. I decided to sit down and write a rambling blog about life moving on in the Heartland post-Covid. It is a blog about nothing, but at the same time, it is a blog about everything.

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The right to be patriotic on Independence Day

Here in the heartland, we have the right to be patriotic on Independence Day and every day. It might make us sound like a bunch of hicks, but we love this country. We decorate floats. Dress in red, white, and blue.  We drape ourselves in the flag not out of disrespect but because we love it.

We stand when we sing the national anthem without apology. Respect is paid to the people who served in the military, not for the politics that made their service necessary. Vietnam taught us a lot about honoring those who serve. here in the heartland.

The right to gather together on Independence Day

In 2020, we canceled everything because of Covid-19. This year we celebrated together with fireworks and festivals. I know the experts in Washington will be checking the statistics for another spike in Covid, but we hear in the heartland will be living our lives in the shadow of all the fear. We have the right to assemble peacefully. On Independence Day, we chose to gather in a park and listen to Three Dog Night.

Random thoughts on Independence Day

Here in the heartland, life has moved on. Generation after generation has seen its own particular trial, but we as a nation have survived. We know this the same as we know our government has betrayed us in countless ways. The liberals and conservatives are locked in some political struggle we don’t fully understand here in the heartland. 

Here in the heartland, we know we don’t have a voice at the table. It doesn’t bother us much. We’ll do us, and you do you. Important people in New York, Washington, and Los Angeles can keep talking among themselves as long as they leave us alone.

Here in the heartland, we feel the void of leadership at the top. There’s not a doubt in our mind the last election was rigged because most elections are tampered with regularly. The bad thing about the political situation is neither the liberals nor conservatives have given us a sound candidate. We go to the polls on election day to pick the lesser of two evils. The surprising part of the equation is that we still turn out to vote.

Here in the heartland, we have been called racist, domestic terrorists, and politically unclean because many of our numbers supported Trump. I have even heard it suggested we all need to be deprogrammed. Nobody seems to have taken the time to ask us people around here why they voted for an arrogant, rich, spoiled man who has nothing in common with them. There are three reasons why Trump got the votes here in the heartland. Number one, he was a Washington outsider, and number two, he did the things he promised he’d do when he ran for office. Plus, he told off a whole slew of people in power who were more arrogant than him. For a few seconds there, he gave the people in the heartland a voice.

In conclusion

Here in the heartland, we still believe in faith, family, and country. We gather on the 4^th of July for fireworks and amusement rides. None of us went to the capitol building to attempt a takeover. We were as shocked as the rest of the world when it happened. There is a deep hole in our hearts that this nation will survive the current chaos created by the political debate we don’t have a voice in these days. I always stay away from politics because it is a dirty business, but I guess this 4^th of July has me thinking about Independence Day here in the Heartland.

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

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