In the mid-1980's, when I attended Wesley College at Cambridge University, on Thursday afternoons, several fellow students and I would hop on the train and head south to London for the long weekends. Classes were over at noon Thursday until Monday.
We could go sightseeing, visit museums, and take in several plays, which we did regularly.
That particular July we had done some of those things and discovered a company offering trips down (or up?) the Thames. One other student and I took the river trip, disembarking almost under Big Ben at 6 o'clock on July 4.
The big clock tolled the hour, and I almost felt like a traitor to my country being in England, especially at that spot, on that particular day.
However, being near the English Parliament that was still in session, I walked there. My Thames River buddy declined to go to such a "boring" activity.
I was ushered to a waiting area, then seated in what was called "The Strangers' Gallery." I watched and listened to the House of Lords debate a sheep herding problem in Australia, which, perhaps strangely, I found interesting.
There was the spectacle of this august, white-wigged leader and members propping their feet up onto chairs or tables in front of them and talking (rudely, I thought) while official debates were happening.
I thought to myself that it was no wonder our ancestors in America wanted freedom from these pompous "Lords." Then I remembered my visit to our own Congress when the members behaved in much the same way. History also tells us our congressional members have even resorted to violence against each other at times.
After an hour and a half of the debates, I walked back outside, under Big Ben, to retrace my steps to find my friends to go to a theatre.
That fourth day of July sticks in my memory with a small twinge of guilt for being exactly where I was that particular year on the Fourth of July.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Visiting Parliament on Independence Day