4th of July story by Midge Hrncirik
A short story recorded by Midge Hrncirik at the 75th anniversary of the Westmorland Neighborhood 4th of July celebration.
This recording was created on . You can view the original file and full metadata in our digital repository.
- [START OF RECORDING]
Interviewer: Hi this is Pei Pei Heikkinen. I’m here talking to Midge—um, Hendrick. Hen—
Narrator [Interrupting]: Hrncirik.
Interviewer: So and Midge is volunteering to sell tickets here at the tent. So—nice to meet you Midge.
Narrator: Nice to meet you also.
Interviewer: So, what can you tell me about being a volunteer for an event like this?
Narrator: Well, it really is a good way to stay involved with the neighborhood now that all our kids are grown and gone. So we really enjoy it—see all the neighbors. Um, all the small kids and the bikes—it’s really an enjoyable experience.
Interviewer: Have you been able to—y’know—move away from the table and walk around and enjoy the festivities a little bit?
Narrator: Funny you should ask—I just got back from the cake tent, unsuccessful but—
Interviewer: Oh! You didn’t get a cake?
Narrator: No [Laughs]…
Interviewer: Ah, better luck next time.
Narrator: Yeah thanks.
Interviewer [Continuing]: So how long have you been coming to this neighborhood event?
Narrator: Well we’ve lived here since 1974, so we’ve been coming to the event for… 42 years.
Interviewer: Very nice. And have you seen changes happen?
Narrator [Pausing to think]: Well—
Interviewer [Continuing]: With—with each time you’ve come?
Narrator: Mhm. It is funny because it used to be such a huge, huge production. Where we’d have like—a lot of the things that are here today: the bounce tent and… everything like that. But we also used to have like—a huge barbecue and lots of sales and, um, like candy and cotton candy and all that type of thing. And they used to have like a fire engine that would give rides around the park and around the neighborhood and stuff. But! It’s also very similar [in] that we have a lot of young kids and their parents come and they all look like they’re having a great time and, the games are fairly similar to what they’ve always had and… the food has changed—like I said. But still, it’s pretty good. And it’s defin—
Interviewer [Interrupting]: What were some other types of things that were served?
Narrator: They used to actually roast chicken here.
Interviewer: Roast chickens?
Narrator: Yeah.
Interviewer: Wow!
Narrator [Continuing]: And hamburgers and hotdogs and that type of thing [interviewer indicates she is following] … and I—I even think they used to have corn on the cob [interviewer indicates she is following]… if I remember correctly. So, it was a huge, huge production where we used to have the fireworks also, that they set off here… at night.
Interviewer: Oh nice.
Narrator [Continuing]: But that got to be way too… much of a production and too dangerous and—
Interviewer: Right right.
Narrator [Continuing]: Too much liability.
Interviewer: I can imagine. Umm… Do you have a most fond or… fun memory.
Narrator: Of this? Of today? Of 4th of July?
Interviewer: [Responding “Yeah!” between each question]
Narrator: Um… I don’t know it’s all been fun especially when the kids were young and they would come down they’d enjoy it so much and everything and um that was fun really to watch our kids enjoy it and take advantage of everything. So I guess—mostly it’s seeing the neighbors and saying “hi!” and…
Interviewer: Yeah… yeah…
Narrator: Community.
Interviewer: Well, it’s gonna me a while to catch up because I’ve only lived here for 2 months. [Laughs]
Narrator: Oh my! Ok! Where—where are you living?
Interviewer: Um—right up on South Miller… near campus [inaudible]
Narrator: Ok… Ok…
Interviewer: So…
Narrator: I was trying to picture which house was for sale there.
Interviewer: Uhmmm… The brown house. So…
Narrator: Oh ok, well I hope you’re enjoying it.
Interviewer [At the same time]: It’s pretty—it’s pretty easy to id— yeah it’s been great so far. Thank you.
Narrator: Good. Good.
Interviewer: Uhm, is there anything else you’d like to mention that I haven’t touched on?
Narrator: Uhhh no just that we really, really love the neighborhood and the sense of community here and we enjoy being a part of it all.
Interviewer: Thank you so much Midge.
Narrator: You’re welcome.
Interviewer: And thank you for volunteering!
Narrator: Yes, well thank you too and I hope you enjoy yourselves!
Interviewer: Thank you, have a good day!
Interviewer: You too!
[END]