CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

July 4 Essay Contest

Happy 200th Birthday U.S.A.

By Margie Papetti

My most vivid 4th of July memory was back in 1976, the Bicentennial year. I was 12 years old and involved in a children’s organization that sang patriotic songs and put on historical puppet shows for a variety of audiences. My “big” role was as Francis Scott Key reciting the Star Spangled Banner! We lived outside Boston at the time and we spent a lot of time exploring the rich sources of Colonial history to be found there. This group dressed up as birthday presents and marched in a local 4th of July parade that special year.

History has always been a love of mine, and back then I thoroughly enjoyed singing classic patriotic songs and learning about American history without any political bias or arrogant attitude.

It was just so exciting to take part in the country’s big birthday bash.

Sadly, I feel that unvarnished attitude and feeling is lacking in these times but I feel privileged to have been a part of the celebrations back in 1976.

Corona del Mar Today and cdmCyclist are offering a $100 cash prize to the winning entry for our July 4 Essay Contest. A kids’ contest has a prize of a $50 B.Candy gift certificate. The deadline has been extended; read more here and here. We will publish the best submissions, and reader comments will be considered in our judging.