This is my least favorite of all USA holidays, not for any ideological or gastronomical reason but because of the firecrackers. The loud noises on the fourth have always been a problem for me, but especially now because where I live, people don’t save their fireworks until the actual holiday; they buy and use them every day from the week before to the week after the fourth.
That is a lot of booms, cracks, pops, pows, and bangs to have to contend with!
Even worse, although in Colorado, all fireworks that explode or leave the ground are illegal, we are so close to the Kansas border that every kind of illegal firework is available. The code enforcer doesn’t bother to enforce that code (or any other that I can see), so here I am, having to deal with all that noise . . . and danger. In past years, sparks have showered down on my garage roof. Luckily, none caused a fire, but fires are possible, so I have to pay attention. And last night, the smell cordite was so strong, I’m surprised my smoke alarm didn’t go off.
I suppose I should be grateful all that noise is just for entertainment value (though why people find it enjoyable, I don’t know) and is not from nearby bombs, incoming missiles, and other weapons of war.
And I am grateful, though I can be just as grateful without all those body-jarring reminders.
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Pat Bertram is the author of Grief: The Inside Story – A Guide to Surviving the Loss of a Loved One. “Grief: The Inside Story is perfect and that is not hyperbole! It is exactly what folk who are grieving need to read.” –Leesa Healy, RN, GDAS GDAT, Emotional/Mental Health Therapist & Educator.
Bertram's Blog 
July 4, 2022 at 6:45 pm
I’m with you there Pat…. Not to mention the fear that our pets have over these loud noises. My little Chihuahua mix is terrified over the noise and I have to crate her in a cat carrier before she calms down. Not just little dogs are affected, I know of large dogs that just cower in fear and I remember reading a heartbreaking story if a German Shepherd that actually died from a heart attack during the fireworks. I imagine that wild animals alike are scared as well. Yes I dread the noise as well, but we just have to put up with it…
July 4, 2022 at 7:44 pm
I was thinking about the animals as I was writing this. And yes, we all just have to put up with it. Unfortunately.
July 5, 2022 at 7:39 am
Fireworks And ecological impact.
A scientist told Forbes that when the fireworks go off, the metal salts and explosives undergo a chemical reaction that releases smoke and gases into the air. That includes carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen—three greenhouse gases that are unfortunately responsible for climate change.
– From internet –
July 5, 2022 at 12:11 pm
Luckily, fireworks are not a constant threat, otherwise, we’d be in bigger trouble than we are.