STRAIGHT OUTTA PIERRE | Random thoughts on the 250th, voting, soccer and cargo shorts

Sharp, snappy and South Dakotan — an anonymous shot of insight with a twist of sarcasm

Hope everyone survived the Fourth of July with all 10 fingers intact.

The holiday always takes me back to America’s Bicentennial. Some of us are old enough to remember when President Gerald Ford seemed to spend half of 1976 celebrating our nation’s 200th birthday. Every town had a parade, every kid had a flag, and it felt like America was throwing itself one giant birthday party.

The 250th felt ... different.

Every state and community did its own thing, and maybe that’s where America is today. South Dakota had plenty of chances to celebrate. The national energy just never showed up.

The Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., was supposed to be the celebration of a generation. Performers backed out, the crowds stayed home and the aerial photos looked like a Sturgis rally for introverts.

Maybe America at 250 is like the rest of us at 50. We don’t need one giant party anymore. We’d rather grill a steak, watch the fireworks, complain about the mosquitoes and be home before the 10 o’clock news.

Fireworks are proof Americans will gladly sit in traffic for two hours to watch 15 minutes of explosions. Every year we swear we’re parking closer next time. Every year we don’t.