Cascadia Journal

Regular readers know that I am not particularly a fan of fireworks.  Actually, I rather enjoy the large displays that are staged by municipalities throughout the United States on the fourth day of July each year.  However, I simply detest the nuisances caused by my neighbors who insist on lighting the small fireworks that boom and whistle through the nights before and after this day.  Any other day of the year, this behavior would be looked down upon at the very least.  In the worst-case scenario, it would be mistaken for attempted terrorism.  One day per year, the police tell me there is nothing they can do.

I have noted previously that most of us have simply forgotten the meaning behind having an Independence Day in the first place.  As I challenged you last year at this time, I still dare you to find anyone who actually refers to this holiday as “Independence Day’ anymore.  As a culture, we have forgotten why we have this holiday.  We now have the “Fourth of July” as a blatant excuse for taking a day off for a picnic and experimenting with gunpowder.

Imagine my surprise this year when I was preparing myself for the annual onslaught of noise in the neighborhood that causes my own nerves to be on edge and sends the cat to shelter under the bed for the day.  It appears that there were considerably fewer of these personal fireworks this year over previous years.  The noise level was not much worse in my area than a typical Summer night in the city.  The air was not filled with the acrid smoke from thousands of pounds of ignited gunpowder.  I could actually breathe and the cat was only slightly frazzled.  A winner all the way around.

I can only guess at the reasons for this respite from war simulation.  Perhaps, since the holiday landed on a weekend this year, more people were out of town doing other things.  Perhaps, due to the economy, folks were not spending as much money on fireworks this year.  For one reason or another, people chose to celebrate in a quieter manner. In the end, I can note this day as the most relaxing Independence Day in many years. Thank you all!