OldBagNewTricks

Happy 4th of July!!!!!

Some of you may know that one of the hats I wear is that of Miss Jenny ~ The Art Lady. For this endeavor, labor of love, I pack my little artsty-craftsy suitcase with glue and glitter, bits of ribbon, bottles of buttons and other fancy stuff. This I take to select senior centers and assisted living residences where, with the Little Old Ladies who live there (rarely do men engage in art or craft) and we make stuff. We've made magnet boards and treasure boxes, May Baskets and graduation cards, night lights and picture frames.

I have a list of criteria for what makes the list of things we will make. It must be EASY, it must be BEAUTIFUL, it must be USEFUL. Also, we don't do paint and we don't do candles. Dreaming up projects is sometimes a challenge -- sometimes I don't know what we're doing till almost we are doing it.

4th of July, being (one hopes) a bright, sunny, outdoorsy kind of holiday, a broad brimmed straw hat is nice shade to aging eyes and adds instant flare to an otherwise ordinary ensemble. And if you haven't noticed little old lady hair, a hat is a good thing.

They had such a good time assembling their patriotic hats. One of my little old ladies once taught French; to her this was a chapeau. "My daughgter will be so jealous," said another Little Old Lady, beaming with glee. They like that, having something grand that no one else has. Perhaps one day scientists will discover that that is the key ingredient in keeping us young. Pride in Ownership. The Little Old Ladies selected ribbons and flags, flowers and garland. They wrapped and twisted and taped and glued. They had a joyous good time. My Art Lady project was a success. Whew!

What others of you don't know is that I am a veteran. It sounds a bigger deal than it is because it happened almost by default. When I was 18, graduated from high school and didn't yet know what I wanted to do when I grew up, I went to see a recruiter so that at least I had a place to go while I figured out what to be. Next thing I knew I was Air Force.

I say that like I alone was the whole shootin' match military. It is a common vernacular. When a veteran talks about his or her branch of the service it will be in the possessive. "I AM Air Force." Not, "I was IN the Air Force." I am not sure why this is... I guess it is again, Pride of Ownership, though I can not for sure say if the Air Force had me or I had the Air Force... hmmmm. At some point, though, it became who I am: I am blond, I am blue-eyed, I am Air Force. Before I knew it, before I knew I had a patriotic bone in my body, a piece of our country slipped into my DNA. Now when I see the flag, hear taps or stand to sing the obligatory Star Spangled Banner, my right shoulder itches to snap a salute.

And so for me, for one reason or another, 4th of July is a little bit of a big deal.