July 9th, 2012

Fireworks

Celebrating the 4th of July is one of my favorite times in the year for several reasons, the first being fireworks. I know it may seem superficial, but celebrating our independence seems a bit contrived these days. Not to say that we are repressed, but the exact opposite. I enjoy many of the freedoms people throughout the world are dying to have. And, as a nation, we have not been under the thumb of a repressive regime since the English left our shores so many years ago. I've transitioned my celebration of independence to voting in the primaries and on election day every year.

Fireworks bring a sense of awe and wonder. The brilliance of color and sound and smell, all come together in a display of chemical genius. I have a healthy respect for fireworks. I've been burned by the "simple" sparkler several times and had a firecracker explode in my hand. I think sparklers are extremely dangerous and never buy them for the kids. And, the wick on the firecracker that blew up in my hand was one of the quickest ever made. Luckily, my hand was open and extended away from me. I was in the middle of throwing it when it exploded. My fingers were numb for hours. I buy the "boring" fireworks that sit on the ground and shoot sparks or flares and make sound. Typically the wicks are long enough for a slow walk away. And, I keep the show far  away, enough to not hurt the little ones watching. Why would you want to ruin a vacation from one preventable accident? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Click here to see why I think sparklers are more dangerous than all other fireworks.

This year we were in Saginaw, my hometown, and caught their dazzling 45 minutes of choreographed pyrotechnics. And every year, I attend a local firework celebration, and now I get to enjoy them with my children.Watching their expressions as the night sky fills with explosions of color and shapes brings back memories of being a child and watching the fireworks with family and friends. I continue to be amazed at how many instances in my year I get to feel like a kid again.