Independence Day

I woke up this morning thinking about all the July 4th days of my life. I was sure I would come up with a flag waving feel good post.

Wrong.

I kept thinking that on July 4th, 1982 was the day I got married for the first time. 30 years ago today.

Don't go congratulating me in the comments. The marriage didn't last long. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. We are still friends. She reminded me recently of an event that happened while we were married.

When we first were married we lived above a pizzeria in a tiny loft apartment. You can see the dormer window in the photo on the right. The pizzeria is closed now. Back then it was owned by her family and run by her brother. Two ovens, take out only.

One warm summer night I walked in the propped open front door while they were being robbed. One man had a gun and another had a knife.

I quietly backed out unobserved. I was unarmed in those days. (It was in upstate New York.) All I could do was call 911, but how do I get to the phone? No cell phones yet. Access to my apartment was in view of the robbers.

Without thinking I ran around to the alley rapidly "Spidermaned" to the roof by placing my feet on one side of the alley and my hands on the other and "walking up".  I got on the roof, climbed up and into my apartment window and called 911.

It took them almost 15 minutes to get there.

The robbers were long gone. We were lucky. No one was hurt. They never caught the guys. My greatest worry, looking back, is that those bastards went on to do more crimes and someone after that night was not so lucky. Today, I am sure that things would have played out differently.

--Have a great holiday where you are. Be safe.