Sign Of The Times

Written 7/7/2023

Whaddaya mean it’s not there?  It’s been there since July 4th of 1922 on the back side of Section A of The New York Times for 100 straight years and it’s missing?  A copy of The Declaration of Independence went MIA this year and we were flummoxed as to its whereabouts.  What happened to this potent publication’s popular printout?  It’s the 4th of July and I didn’t get to re-re-re-re-re-re-reread it.  That would be akin to no fireworks, flags or hot dogs!  It just didn’t make any sense for it to be omitted.  Then suddenly, there it was, the next day with an apology for human error.  Okay, let’s analyze that.  First off, I certainly understand human error, my entire life’s foundation is built upon it, however, I am not a fan.  Hmmm!  Human error is a solid recourse in this instance, albeit a little suspect.  With all that is happening in this Land of the Free being inundated by issues bombarding us from all directions these days, one small omission after 100 years would seem trivial, or is it “A Sign Of The Times?”  (puny, puny)


Now I haven’t been around for 100 years, but I have been around long enough to have set up my food stand at the St. Louis County Fair in Northern Minnesota for the past 50 years and I can’t imagine myself this coming August making an exclamation to the effect of, “Jeez, I forgot to set-up and work the food wagon at the Fair last week!”  Dementia notwithstanding, the possibility of that happening would be up there with my being 109 years old and walking down the handicap ramp with my walker after my rock n roll band just played a sold out Xcel Energy Center Arena and there are 2 Playboy Playmates accompanied by the authorities to slap me with a paternity suit.  That, my fans, is how I look at the New York Times omission.


Okay, okay, to be fair here, I am not denigrating the NY Times, I am actually belittling myself.  For many years, I have displayed the Flag on the 4th.  I have even set up a small corn dog/hot dog stand around Minnesota during the 4th of July festivities in various communities 46 different times and until this year, the past 28.  I would display tiny flags on the stand and even wear a red, white & blue fuzzy hat.  Now I can’t remember the last time I was color coded.  In truth, the 4th of July had become my favorite holiday and it had nothing to do with patriotism.  For me, it became a gratuitous money-making opportunity.  Think about it, holidays, especially Christmas, cost a ton of money, but on the 4th, food concession folks have visions of $$$ signs dancing in their heads.  It had become the catalyst to prep for the upcoming Fair season.  We took a hit by not working the 4th this year, but nothing like the rest of the USA.  The Highland Park area of Chicago led the way and took the biggest hit: 7 dead and 24 wounded and thousands more traumatized here in the land of the free and the home of the brave.  I seem to find myself less and less patriotic as the years go by.  We stayed home this year and I didn’t even grill.  We caught some unorganized fireworks through the trees that surround our apartment complex and later found out that the downtown area of Minneapolis had a slew of unorganized fireworks spewing about in all sorts of directions aimed at cars, buildings and people.  Then we hear of more shootings taking place around the Country and more people dying as if it’s 1776.  WTF? Yessiree, it may have been quite a different 4th this year for us with no flags, Declaration of Independence or hot dogs, but there was certainly no lack of fireworks!  Stay tuned…..!


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