On the third we went to my dad's house to see the small independence day parade that the tiny suburb I grew up in puts on. It wasn't bad. Very small town America. It was cute. It was fun to watch the little kids run to get the candy that the people in the parade threw to them. It was interesting to see all the people I knew growing up. I saw a couple of guys I went to elementary school with. They looked quite different after 15 years, but I recognized them right away. I didn't talk to them. I wonder what they are doing now. I'm sort of a snob in the sense that I figure that for the kids in my generation success is being able to move out of Lyons to somewhere better (though I as age I realize that Lyons isn't as bad as I thought it was growing up). Seeing people I grew up with at the Lyons independence day parade makes me wonder what they are still doing there. Of course, I was there, so what does that say about me? I moved out. How do I know that they didn't too, and were just back for the holiday weekend? I guess I don't. And I also feel bad about thinking that, knowing that there are plenty of successful people who live in Lyons. But in general, if you become successful, you move out. Maybe only to a slightly better suburb nearby like Brookfield or LaGrange, but usually not Lyons. At least that is what I have noticed. Given that I haven't lived in Lyons since 1997 and don't really hang out with anyone there, what the hell do I know?