Fourth of July
When we moved to Oxford and my parents divorced I was allowed a freedom to explore and make friends that I was never allowed in Grafton.
In summer time I spent most of my days hanging at Carbuncle Pond behind the high school. The water stank, left a slime coat on ya and had a rust color to it, but I loved it. It was freedom with sand and water. How much better could it get? And I could walk to it. Paul's mother didn't care where I was or what I was doing as long as I wasn't bothering her. I'd take a short cut through the woods and come around the back side of the pond. A neighborhood stoner showed me the way. He was very weird to say the least and didn't talk to too many people. But for some reason, we hit it off. I would sometimes fish in the pond too and even to this day, the state of Massachusetts still stocks it with trout. I'd bring them home and cook them for Paul's mother. She'd actually eat them, probably explains her mental state. I never ate fish, I won't eat anything from the water, quirky thing I am.
My winters were spent on McKinstry Pond ice skating with my friends. It was a lily pad filled pond in the summer where swimming was impossible but in the winter, it would ice up perfectly for skating. I'd wear a tee-shirt, pair of jeans, two pairs of socks, mittens or gloves and my ice skates. Never wore a winter coat. I would fly across the ice. Speed was my friend.Again, the freedom of flying across the ice, cold air across my arms, my hair blowing back in the breeze I'd create. It was just wonderful. When I talked to my friend Chelle a short while ago, she reminded me of how amazed everyone was that I'd skate with no coat or sweater on, ever. The wind chill could be under 0 and I'd still fly around the ice.
I miss those days, later in life, as I've said before, I'd drive in the car with my sister with music blaring singing at the top of our lungs and that freedom would be visited again. I have discovered that in my life, freedom has meant a lot to me and continues to me a lot to me. Freedom, that's what July 4th means to me.
In summer time I spent most of my days hanging at Carbuncle Pond behind the high school. The water stank, left a slime coat on ya and had a rust color to it, but I loved it. It was freedom with sand and water. How much better could it get? And I could walk to it. Paul's mother didn't care where I was or what I was doing as long as I wasn't bothering her. I'd take a short cut through the woods and come around the back side of the pond. A neighborhood stoner showed me the way. He was very weird to say the least and didn't talk to too many people. But for some reason, we hit it off. I would sometimes fish in the pond too and even to this day, the state of Massachusetts still stocks it with trout. I'd bring them home and cook them for Paul's mother. She'd actually eat them, probably explains her mental state. I never ate fish, I won't eat anything from the water, quirky thing I am.
My winters were spent on McKinstry Pond ice skating with my friends. It was a lily pad filled pond in the summer where swimming was impossible but in the winter, it would ice up perfectly for skating. I'd wear a tee-shirt, pair of jeans, two pairs of socks, mittens or gloves and my ice skates. Never wore a winter coat. I would fly across the ice. Speed was my friend.Again, the freedom of flying across the ice, cold air across my arms, my hair blowing back in the breeze I'd create. It was just wonderful. When I talked to my friend Chelle a short while ago, she reminded me of how amazed everyone was that I'd skate with no coat or sweater on, ever. The wind chill could be under 0 and I'd still fly around the ice.
I miss those days, later in life, as I've said before, I'd drive in the car with my sister with music blaring singing at the top of our lungs and that freedom would be visited again. I have discovered that in my life, freedom has meant a lot to me and continues to me a lot to me. Freedom, that's what July 4th means to me.
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