Let me be honest, I don't like fireworks. Ok, I hate them. To me fireworks are loud, dangerous, messy, and make the animals crazy. It isn't that I don't enjoy watching fireworks, from plenty far away.
I always assumed this was a me thing, something had happened to me as a kid or maybe it was just some oddity. We found out last year it isn't just a me thing, Thing Two is none too in love with them either. This is way out of character for him and it seems like he was trying really hard to like them and be ok with it all and he just couldn't go there.
We found this out last year when a good buddy of his in the neighborhood and their family came over to do fireworks. Initially it was all ok for Thing Two, he enjoyed the sparklers and the smaller fireworks were fine. As more people in the area started setting off their fireworks, of the illegal launching variety, he became noticeably nervous. He jumped into the back of the truck and unless prodded did not really move from the back of the truck bed for most of the rest of the time. I don't want him to fear them, but I am not the right person to convince him of this. Eventually he did enjoy himself and wants to do them again this year and I assume with time he will get better, but I see that deep distrust of them I have and wonder if long term he will enjoy the fourth.
The kids have heard me complain about my general dislike of fireworks and the fourth of July for years. A few years ago when it was really dry and the illegals were flying, sparks got into our yard. As a stupid college kid, I watched a tree catch fire from a bottle rocket. I have a really easy startle reflex which could be part of my issue and the issue Thing Two has, he always seems very taken aback when a firework goes off that he isn't directly looking at. The Things have heard this for years, but Thing One has never been phased by fireworks; big, small, inside the neighborhood, or out, it all seems good to her; it is just me and Thing Two that get a little jumpy a few days before and after.
It isn't that I don't like or am not impressed by fireworks in a display, I really like watching them. The noise can be a bit much if I am really close to a fireworks display, but generally I truly enjoy a large professional display. It is the home idiot I have issue with, and the easy access to said illegal fireworks in Idaho that makes the whole issue worse. In Idaho, you can buy illegal fireworks, but you have to sign a waiver that you won't set them off......REALLY .....REALLY. My concern is that there are a bunch of high schoolers getting their 18 year old friends to buy them and setting them off throughout the neighborhood for DAYS before and after. At 18 I would not have trusted myself with a match, let alone something bigger than an M80. Every year the police say they will crack down on the firework problem and every year there are always bigger fish to fry. I don't think the police should spend the night monitoring firework setting off neighborhoods. If something is illegal it shouldnt' be sold. I don't see pot sold in the grocery store with a waiver the buyer has to sign saying they won't smoke it, why should we do this with fireworks.
Happy fourth, I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but were playing with water and if fireworks are bought they will be small and legal so that we will all be less likely to blow a finger off.
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