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Candela Saz Price

Dr. Irving

LITR101 Comp

12 August 2026

People, Fireworks, And Barbeque Ribs

*ADD A GOOD HOOK* When I think of barbeque ribs, I think of my hometown. I grew up in a overpopulated town in the country. Down in Arkansas, there wasn't much but nature and farm fields. Most places like Arkansas are known for having nothing around for miles but an occasional Dollar General by the side of the road. Ironically, in my town we only had a Walmart and a Dollar General. There were no good hangout spots, so us teens would drive around house to house, go to Walmart late at night, or hangout at Sonic. Arkansas may sound very boring but there are some great parts to it. Living in the country was a blessing, there was always so much land around houses. Which meant it was perfect for cookouts and family gatherings, especially on the Fourth of July. There was enough land to shoot huge fireworks.

My favorite holiday is Fourth of July. It is not a very common favorite holiday, most people would say Christmas, Halloween, or even Thanksgiving to be niche. However, I love the Fourth of July; for three main reasons: people, fireworks, and barbeque ribs. A usual Fourth of July meal consists of hot dogs and chips with a cool soda. But, when I discovered barbeque ribs, I declared them my personal Fourth of July meal. Simply because of how delicious and symbolic they are.

The first time I had barbeque ribs was truly a game changing experience. Before then, I had always known it was a popular meal and people loved it. I wasn't too interested since it can get so messy. Until I was over at my ex-boyfriends house one summer night. He lived out far in the country, just like most people from town. When I got to his house, there was this gorgeous sunset painted across the sky. That night, I didn’t know that ribs were on the menu. After a little bit of hanging around him and his family we went to eat dinner. As I walked over to their small bench dinner table, I saw a nice rack of juicy ribs. Instantly, my mouth watered. That moment felt like discovering a new world, just like Christopher Columbus when he arrived in the Americas. Truly a breath taking moment staring at the glistening barbeque ribs. We sat down to eat and I took a bite. I could feel fireworks blowing up in my brain. I genuinely felt like I was levitating off the ground into heaven after that first juicy bite. Ever since then, barbeque ribs went from being at the bottom of my favorite food list, to top three.

One year, my family and I went to visit our family friends for dinner. We met them through my grandma since they worked in the same AirForce Base. That day was the annual Fourth of July gathering in their land. They lived 20 miles away from us, deep south of Arkansas. That day on the menu was: hot dogs, french fries, potato salad, corn bread, peach cobbler, and of course, barbeque ribs. I was very excited for dinner. That year we decided to eat before the firework show. Which increased my excitement by a lot. I remember grabbing a plate and fork and sprinting to get food first. I was moving so fast I almost slipped and fell before getting to the table, I was ferociously hungry. I started off by grabbing some french fries, and pouring a ton of ranch to smother the fries in. Then, I grab a spoonful of potato salad, and grab a chunk of corn bread. When I got to the barbeque ribs, my heart raced and skipped a beat. The ribs had this reddish brown barbeque glaze coated over. Additionally, there were some black crunchy spots from it being cooked in the grill. The air was infused with this strong barbeque scent. The closer I got to the smell, the hungrier I got. Like a wild animal smelling their prey in the air. The scent had notes of sweetness, spice, and a slight hint of smoke. I watched carefully as the ribs steamed and continued to fill the room with such a delicious smell. I sat down, said grace and ate the other food before the ribs

I grabbed the ribs and suddenly my hands were super sticky instantly. I then pounce on the first bite. Even before biting in, my mouth was watering from the hunger and excitement I was containing. As I took a bite, I felt like that one scene from Ratatouille when Remy eats cheese and strawberry at the same time. Remy’s mind is filled with shapes, colors, and music. I was probably more excited than Remy when I took that bite. They had this sweet, tangy, spicy flavor to them. I could also taste the smokiness, it really topped off the flavor. It also had some bitter burnt bits that added on to it. The ribs were truly immaculate. After every bite, I would have to wipe the sticky barbeque sauce off my hands. When I finished dinner, my stomach was pleased with such a delicious meal.

The last time I had barbeque ribs was with my family. It was the very last time we sat together as a family the night before I left for INDOC. That night we went to BJ’s Restaurant to get our special dinner outing we usually don't do. We sat down and I obviously ordered barbeque ribs. My brother next to me was having a hard time deciding what to eat, so he asked “What are you getting?” I answered, “Barbeque ribs, duh!” He then nodded and continued his search for his meal. I didn't quite hear what he ordered because I went to the bathroom. When I came back the waitress was delivering our food. I sat down and saw another plate of ribs next to mine. I asked my brother why he ordered them and he said “You always eat them and since you like them so much, I wanted to try them myself to understand your passion towards ribs.” After that dinner, he told me that ribs were now one of his favorite meals. I felt like I passed on my pure love and joy of barbeque ribs to my brother. Maybe every Fourth of July he will pass on the legacy of requesting barbeque ribs on the menu.

Anytime I think of barbeque ribs, my mind goes back home to Arkansas with my family. The moments I’ve spent devouring a rack of ribs on the Fourth of July, hold such importance in my life. Those moments were times where the whole family was together and we all would laugh and talk the night away. Even simple places like Arkansas, or a classic meal like barbeque ribs, the simplicity made it more home-like to me. Hopefully, next time I go home for the Fourth of July, I get a nice rack of barbeque ribs and a great time with my family out in the fields with a gorgeous painted sky to look at while we all eat together.