This is a very odd time of year for me usually. Yesterday I set of fireworks for the first time since I was 10 years old. I usually don’t do much with fireworks celebration. You see, when I was 10, some firecrackers damaged my ear, leaving me with permanent nerve damage and hearing loss and a condition called tinnitus. Ever since that time I have had a constant ringing in my ear that never goes away and gets worse when I’m around loud noises.
So obviously, ever since then, I haven’t been too eager to play with fireworks, and it just kind of left a damper on the 4th of July for me ever since. But last year, I was out walking around on the 4th, when everyone was out on their lawns or by the hotel pools staring up at the sky watching the fireworks displays. The smoke was hanging hazy in the air and the smell and the feel of the air just gave me a flashback to when I was younger and would watch the rockets and whizzing lights and I felt really nostalgic for that time again, and I watched the displays up in the sky along with everyone else.
So this year, for the first time in about 17 years, I got some ear plugs and set off some fireworks of my own, with Isa and Johnny. We didn’t do any loud ones, but had lots of fun with sparklers and whizzing lights. And I can honestly say that I enjoyed the Fourth of July for the first time since I was a kid. I’m sure that having a little boy around to enjoy the fireworks too helps.
Anyway, if you get a chance, check out my article on the history of fireworks for some facts you may or may not know about how fireworks are made and where they come from. And remember if you’re setting off your own to be safe and be careful.
