Growing up in Marshfield, Missouri the highlight of the year was the 4th of July parade. Rain, extreme heat, blazing sun or cool clouds, it didn’t matter – you simply didn’t miss the parade.
Our little parade holds a special title: It’s the longest running 4th of July parade west of the Mississippi River. It’s a hometown claim to fame that still makes me smile.
The other day, somebody asked my sisters and me, “What makes you all so patriotic?”
I paused for a moment and then it came to me,
“It’s because of our hometown. That’s just how Marshfield is.”
There is something special about growing up in a town with so much heart. A place where patriotism means more than fireworks and parades- it’s about tradition, community and pride in where you come from.
When I was six years old, President George H.W. Bush picked the Marshfield Parade to spend his 4th of July. The town buzzed with excitement. Houses were painted, streets were cleaned and the biggest and best parade we have ever thrown was planned out. It was HUGE. I’m willing to bet the President himself didn’t expect that kind of production from a town of a few thousand – but that’s Marshfield.
1991 left a mark on me. It wasn’t about the parade or the presidential visit, it was about the way the community came together and the pride we felt in showing off such a little place in the heart of the Ozarks.
I’m proud to be from a small town with a lot of heart. And if you’ve ever sat through the Marshfield 4th of July parade, you know what I’m talking about.
