Annual Co-Dependence Day Post

[jesse_dylan]

When I was on Livejournal, I seemed to post about the 4th of July every year. Every year, I would talk about how fireworks were so romantic, and how I just wanted to share the day/night with someone. I tried to share it with her, over the last 6 years (or 5, however many there were). It was never that great. She wasn't into it, and I don't blame her. Whole thing is stupid. I guess she ruined it for me.

This year, I'm not thinking about loneliness or how romantic fireworks are. I'm just thinking how annoying they are, how they frighten people with PTSD, babies, wildlife, domestic non-humans, how they keep me awake, how I am forced to have my windows closed and my a/c running (which doesn't actually seem to work--it's hotter in here than outside!)...

How terribly American, to celebrate by being totally inconsiderate, noisy, stupid, and blowing stuff up. What a fine tradition we pass down.



Never put all your faith and money into a relationship. Even Elaine and Guybrush broke up before Monkey Island 2 started. And then Disney ripped Monkey Island off for the Pirates of the Carribbean ride/films. All this began with fireworks. Nothing there but trouble.

Comments

[rocket_to_neptune]

I've never found fireworks to be romantic. Pretty, sure. But dangerous and vaguely annoying. Not really worth the hype. When I was a teenager, my family had to drag me out of my room to the local fireworks display.

These days I go out with friends, but if it were left up to me, I'd probably just stay indoors and hang out with my cats in the air conditioning. The friends are always rushing around trying to get to the fireworks on time, but I'm just fine with eating instead and missing the fireworks, and I've said such before. Ha. It's an unpopular opinion. But they make for nice pictures, anyway.

My cats aren't super freaked out by fireworks, and I'm thankful for it. I hate the amateur stuff, though. It bothers me. My grandparents tried to give me sparklers as a kid, and I said, "No way! That's dangerous!" Ha.

[jesse_dylan]

I'm lucky my cat doesn't really care either!

I don't even know what I'd do if I had a kid. Hopefully I'd have one that agreed with your kid self.

[raynedanser]

Actually, you echo almost word for word what I said to my husband last night. It's the most non-holiday holiday. We're celebrating our separation from England, the birth of our country. Anyone that fought in that war is obviously long gone. It's not about the veteran's - we have Veterans' Day. It's not about those currently we lost - we have Memorial Day. I HATE listening to the fireworks. Everyone around me (and we live on a lake *grumble*) was shooting them off and I was never so glad for curfew as last night.

[jesse_dylan]

Man, we need a curfew here, and some other standard noise laws. I'm listening to my neighbors' radio right now. I think they sometimes just turn it on and go back inside. It's not like we're even that close. They have a giant backyard, and their pool and radio are closer to my house than theirs. I'm sure they're nice people, but I actually h8 them.

[zesty_pinto]

I honestly feel like the day is a great litmus test to see how badly people can Cinco De Mayo a day that might mean something into a Murika'd up boozefest.

Odder still, what I've learned from that day is that Captain America seems to have been appropriated with it?

[jesse_dylan]

haha you got it! And yeah, the Captain America thing is new for me. I guess it must be good for business or something? I didn't even realize it was a thing until you mention it, but now, thinking back... yeah. What the heck. Is that new this year?

[zesty_pinto]

While I was walking around Boston, I saw at least three people walking around with shields. They weren't dressed as Cap and seemed to walk around by themselves, so I wasn't sure if it was a cosplay thing or something else, but now I think it's got to be a thing. A fair number of folks were walking around dressed in Captain America shirts in general too.

[jesse_dylan]

I think if I were walking around in a big city with a lot of people, a shield might make me feel a little better too!

[zesty_pinto]

TBH, I never liked any activity that involved me being in a crowd of strangers, so fireworks always included it. My BSA troop has this obsession with going on this trip to NYC from NJ three days before Christmas and I found the lines and groups to be utterly insane. Personally, if there's one thing that I have learned form disaster movies, being in an immovable crowd of people in a city is always begging for something crappy to happen.

I'm okay with not using them in general. I'm not 12. I can buy a firearm or some projectile weapon if I really want to feel the power of something like that, and in terms of things going into the air, I really, really, want a drone instead (maybe not as much anymore though thanks to all the new regulations) and could probably get a rocketry kit instead to make up for it (which I do admit is tempting despite living around the woods).

Michelle has a traditional thing about them but even she's kind of mellowed out over the candor for it. Still, it's nice to see every so often. I agree that the sounds are an issue as well.

[jesse_dylan]

I've noticed that in other places, the focus is on a large municipal display. We do have that normally (I was glad we didn't this year! although it would have been across town and done at a sensible time), but I think the focus here is on lone maniacs doing firework displays illegally. Last night (July 5) was mercifully quiet (it is not always), but then at about 5 am this morning, some lunatic started exploding big ones. What's with that?

Anyway, not much happens with crowds here, but even the "crowds" we get are too crowded for me. Those photos from Atlantic City looked nuts!