Collected Item: “A Covid-19 July 4th, 2020”
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A Covid-19 July 4th, 2020
What sort of object is this: text story, photograph, video, audio interview, screenshot, drawing, meme, etc.?
Text story
Tell us a story; share your experience. Describe what the object or story you've uploaded says about the pandemic, and/or why what you've submitted is important to you.
One of my favorite holiday rituals is to go to a park, lay a blanket down, enjoy a picnic with my circle of family and friends along with the many other groups who are also awaiting the start of the fireworks show. The aromas of barbecued items such as hot dogs, hamburgers, and corn wafting in the air mixing with other ethnic delights are reminders of the diversity of this country. I open the doors of my Jeep, connect my iPhone and select my July 4th playlist to share with the people around me. In the distance I hear other groups talking and commenting on the music; it's nice to have background music as the show begins. "What's a July 4th show without the good 'ole '1812 Overture'?" is a common remark. The attraction of the fireworks, at least to me, is being there to hear the reverberation and smell the sulphur as they explode in the air besides the visual display. Timing the music to the show, especially the finale, is my annual challenge; one that I've been somewhat successful several years in a row.
This year's holiday was spent indoors, by myself. I just didn't have the energy or interest to go to the bother of barbecuing for just me. My friends and family were all hunkered down at their respective homes. To observe July 4th via TV was just not same. For me, there would be no physical sensation of the sounds or of the smells that are so closely associated with the holiday. So, I passed on recognizing July 4th as a holiday...it was just another Covid-19 day in the year 2020.
This year's holiday was spent indoors, by myself. I just didn't have the energy or interest to go to the bother of barbecuing for just me. My friends and family were all hunkered down at their respective homes. To observe July 4th via TV was just not same. For me, there would be no physical sensation of the sounds or of the smells that are so closely associated with the holiday. So, I passed on recognizing July 4th as a holiday...it was just another Covid-19 day in the year 2020.
Use one-word hashtags (separated by commas) to describe your story. For example: Where did it originate? How does this object make you feel? How does this object relate to the pandemic?
Arizona State University; HST 643; Sensory History; holiday; barbecue; fireworks; tv; July 4th
Who originally created this object? (If you created this object, such as photo, then put "self" here.)
Carol Lynn Hurst
Give this story a date.
2020-10-12