Friday night fireworks in Dyersville, Iowa (the home of the famous baseball “Field of Dreams)
Hello and welcome to the blog. Today is Independence Day… a day that I won’t soon forget. It is being spent with buddy Johnnie in Muscatine. Other than Sis, Johnnie is the closest thing I have to family. He doesn’t get out a lot and we decided to go see the fireworks… after I experienced some of my own recently.
It was a rough week at work and I ended the employment voluntarily. Life is not always fair. I really enjoyed the job, liked the customers and owners, and worked hard… never being late nor missing a shift.
But being a happy person can also make a fella a target for those who, by their own poor choices, have a difficult life and carry their baggage everwhere… constantly needing to fight, gossip, and spread negativity. Misery loves company and eventually the infection spreads. I’ve learned over the years that when people gang up on a person, sometimes it’s better to move on. It’s a shame though – I really loved that job and the customers!
As luck would have it, the timing was such that it is possible to enjoy Independence Day as a free person! After having two days of awful stress migraines, it was relaxing on Friday night to go see some fireworks in Dyersville, Iowa. Dyersville is the town many remember from the movie “Field of Dreams.”
The event was held at a city park just north of the Fareway grocery store. The parking lot for the Dyersville Beckman School was a perfect place to park and watch the fun. It was a fantastic half hour show. Though this was smaller than the displays you find in places such as Cedar Rapids, I am hard pressed to think of any time I enjoyed fireworks more… unless it was as a kid. If possible, it would be fun to come here next year and grill some brats as others did – sort of like football tailgaiting.
Now it’s off to Muscatine, Iowa to watch a parade and hang out with my buddy. It’s likely that there will be more camping again soon after that. I’d like to get back to Decorah again one of these days and see a few things … but have to watch the budget pretty closely for a bit. Even so, life is practically zero stress again – that’s a terrific thing!
That’s about it. Today is a great day to be an American! Remember that having our freedom, being able to do most anything we want, and having the right to pursue happiness is a blessing that few in this world get to enjoy! I guess that’s the lesson I learned recently…
If we want happiness, sometimes we have to pursue it, treasure it, and make sure we don’t let the vacuum of unhappiness take it away. It’s ultimately our choice to be positive. We live in a fantastic place to “make it so!”
Safe and happy travels always! Have a fantastic weekend!
Brad and Jesse
Jones County, Iowa
Thank you for this. I needed the reminder right now. I’m still working on freeing the perceived chains that hold me in unhappy places for too long at a time. Your enthusiasm is a wonder to me.
Thank you for the comment. Many people do not know what it is like in “the trenches”. Living the camping / vandwelling lifestyle changed my attitude a lot. Life is too short to be miserable… or be near those who are. Hang in there and keep smiling! 😀
When you let toxic people into your life, you cannot help but absorb some of the toxins. But at a workplace, you do not get to pick and choose, so you chose the path that is best for you health and happiness. Good for you for the courage. I also hope you explained your circumstances to your employer so s/he can be watchful of how those others interact with the next person hired. It may save someone down the line a lot of grief. It’s hard to watch and “feel” the sounds of fireworks and not feel like a kid again.
Thanks for the kind words, Carla. The last few days I’ve been surrounded by friends – positive people who really make a person feel better. It’s been like an antidote. The fireworks have helped, too. I cannot remember being so mosquito bitten and not caring! Seeing so many people have that much fun was exciting, too. Have a terrific week! 😀