Celebrating a Day Late

* I can remember, as though it was just last year, when the Fourth of July was actually on July 4. Perhaps I’m getting a little senile at the ripe old age of 50, but I’m sure I would remember the calendar being changed or the atomic clock being reset to erase our national day of independence.

Is it that only Ojai exists in some sort of time warp, or is the rest of the world one day off? I realize that Ojai considers itself somewhat special, what with the twin deities that protect the upper and lower valleys, enjoying the luxury of being off the beaten path in its own secluded valley. That’s a large part of why I’m here. What I find hard to believe is that Ojai presumed to change Independence Day.

At 10 a.m., July 5th, a two-hour parade began, followed by the traditional picnic in the park to celebrate the Fourth, followed by fireworks at the high school athletic field. All this was very patriotic and a lot of fun, just a day late. What’s next, Christmas on Dec. 26?

My own birthday isn’t something I arbitrarily change to a day more suitable to myself, so our nation’s birthday isn’t something to be changed for the convenience of some merchants or church-goers. There is a lot of tradition behind the day that celebrates our independence from bondage to a foreign power. Part of what was won in that battle for independence was a clear separation of church and state. I celebrate my own birthday privately, but I firmly believe in celebrating my nation’s birthday along with the rest of my countrymen, not a day later.

I feel I was robbed of my national privilege by the city of Ojai. I flew my flag on the 4th, not on the 5th, because as any schoolchild knows, Independence Day is on July Fourth.

DAVID BORGEN

Ojai