Happy Birthday America. We are about to turn 235 years old. Just a baby in world affairs. Don’t laugh, we are young as countries go. Canada is a little younger at about 144 years old. The old guys are Egypt and other middle east countries at over 6000 years old. So it is understandable America can be a bit childish in our birthday celebrations. Please understand, I love baked beans and grilling burgers and dogs with friends and families. Flying the stars and stripes and going to a local baseball game are required for patriot status. 

Our worst birthday behavior is unrestrained fireworks demonstrations. You may not want to hear of the tragedies. You may think I am just a spoiled sport because I can’t spend over $500.00 on rockets like the guy across the street. Truthfully I see the danger of massive fire power displays.

Watching a sponsored  fireworks show can be fun but to many of us want to shoot our own fireworks. Shooting fireworks is probably illegal in your community. It so dry in the south you might start a fire that gets out of control, unless you are shooting into a lake and killing the fish. I just know some little kid is going to be holding a firecracker between a finger and thumb and some other little kid is going to sneak up and light it and Ka Boom. Or the boys next door may tie an entire package of Black Cats to a neighborhood kitty. Those aerial bombs bursting in air look beautiful as I watch the sparks land on my roof’s old dry cedar shakes and I am going outside in my pajamas and white t-shirt to hose down the roof. The dancing butterfly spinner lit up the night and landing on the hood of my old car was no big deal. The paint is already peeling so why cry about and brown and black burn spot. I will say the blooming flower that continued blooming on the roof of the newer car did upset my wife for a few months. I know how it sounds when an exploding firecracker is thrown inside my car by a passing driver. Fortunately I was not carrying a load of fireworks in the back seat like a fellow I read about. His young daughter lived.

I don’t want to be the guy who calls the cops and I know I can’t show you the firepower of my 12 gauge, but I wish you would consider how, when and where you shoot those loud colorful pyrotechnic devises.  Enjoy the 4th don’t drink and drive eat slowly put the kids to bed late and remember I have to go to work early on the 5th.