Reasons to love the Fourth of July

1. Pride: A lot of things divide our country these days. We don't always agree on much. But on the Fourth, you can bet that every single person in their red, white and blue attire is proudly boasting their American heritage.

2. Creativity: Just when you think you've seen every way Old Glory can be incorporated into clothing and accessories, someone surprises you. Pants, swimming trunks, earrings, trucker hats and more all are boldly marked with the bars and stars. I salute you all and your never ending quest to display the flag and your pride. 'Murica.

3. Barbecue: I'm not one of those fanatics who marinates meat for 24 hours or spends an hour picking out the perfect cuts, but I get pretty excited about barbecue all the same. I load up my disposable plate until I hear the creak that indicates it's on the brink of cracking then sit down and commence to eating (and promptly dripping sauce all over my shirt). Just thinking about it makes me hungry.

4. Sparklers: They're simple, traditional and always fun. We've all used them to spell out our names in the air and make hearts and stars. They're also a nice, if temporary, way to keep the mosquitoes at bay.

5. The big fireworks show: Everyone knows the routine. You shower in some mosquito spray, grab the folding chair and scout out the best location to watch the show. There's just nothing else quite like fireworks. Watching them invokes thoughts of "rockets' red glare" and "bombs bursting in air," a subtle reminder to be thankful for the many sacrifices made by those who came before us.