enjoy, but be careful

It’s Time to Celebrate

Happy Safe July 4^th

      Years ago I remember living beside this guy and his family at a converted chicken house they had made into apartments off of Sherman Church rd. in Canton Ohio. It was low rent and did accommodate my lifestyle at the time as I shared an apartment with my brother. A number of interesting people lived there and most I would not even bother spending time with but one guy and his family stand out in my mine still today. He was missing parts off the lower parts of both arms and one had a claw to replace his hand completely blew off making m-80’s for the Fourth celebration.

       Here was a man completely disabled and almost blinded by the senseless act of making homemade fireworks, so others could have a good time. He couldn’t hold his own children in his arms and had significant mental and physical issues , not being able to support even his own family, instead being dependent the rest of his life on disability , and what other social services he could meek out to help his wife and family exist. He would come over to my place and we would talk and he would share his feelings as we would smoke a joint. He liked me because I had two hands and fingers to roll with, and he would much rather smoke a joint than smoke out of a pipe. I enjoyed his company as he always had some of the best stuff, selling some on the side to subsidize his smoking habits, and I also felt he thought it was a much better alternative than drinking. I had seen him drunk a few times and a bigger self- pitying party one had never seen, and to this end I would say he was right.

      He happened to be rolling the M-80’s in paper when something went horribly wrong, it landed him in the emergency room, and he was months and years recovering and I doubt to this day he has ever recovered. It will always stand to remind me that at this time of year how senseless it is to carelessly play with fireworks. Luckily I have never been party to an event such as this guy experienced, but when partying we have had our moments when I thought that maybe we shouldn’t be doing this.

     A friend of mine turned me on to the Wooster city fireworks at the College of Wooster, and it was a gorgeous display, loud and colorful and it seemed in your face. It was so great that I decided the next year, not having anything to do, I was going to go again, and made it about halfway there, after taking a bath, putting on a new shirt and looking pretty good, I stopped at the Shady Rest bar outside Beach City ,Ohio, to have a few brews before getting to my destination. After ordering a drink I inquired as to why there was a 3 ft. long carp swimming in the mud hole out in front of the bar in the parking lot. Something you don’t see every day. The whole bar laughed, they said someone caught it in the backwaters of the dam and thought it was funny to throw it in the mud hole while they drank. They also thought it would be funny to blow it up, and they were going to do that in a few, as soon as they finished their drinks, and if I wanted to,I could also watch the spectacle.

      I then asked what their preferred choice of destruction was, and of course it was a M-80 firecracker equivalent to a quarter stick of dynamite. At this point considering my experience with my friend, I should have skedaddled on out of there leaving these redneck wannabe’s to their own miserable fate, instead I was somewhat drawn to this spectacle purely curious as an outsider. Well I wasn’t outside far enough. They had managed to shove the M-80 into the fish’s mouth, and not that any protest I could have had against animal cruelty would have rendered any different outcome, except maybe having M-80’s shoved in my orifices , they lit the fuse and returned the carp to the mud hole for the inevitable explosion . A fireball erupted and smoke and pieces of fish scales and mud went slinging past my face, and I was on the outer regions of the explosion. Some up close were almost blinded by the blood, the mud, and scales of the fish as it was able to exact its revenge on us all including me who was hesitant but curious to see such a spectacle. Bits of fish scales and blood and mud peppered my shirt also.  I was so disgusted I climbed back into my car and headed home having been taught a lesson.

     We were all lucky worse didn’t happen to us, as we could have lost an eye or worse due to the power of the explosive charge of the m-80. Alcohol and fireworks have no place in our society when comingled together. Other times we have played with the M-80’s and other fireworks, and plenty of times we have come close to people having permanent hearing damage or suffering from debris being thrown into the air. I used to work with dynamite and blow up huge swaths of land with explosives and thus have a huge respect for anything explosive today.  Down to and including sparklers, which although not explosive still burn with white hot intensity with a chemical reaction at over 600 degrees Fahrenheit, hardly suitable for little kids. But I have seen mothers give their babies a sparkler, when they could barely walk. To fall and land on the tip could severely burn them. It is not a good idea for a wobbly infant. And of course who hasn’t done battle with Roman candles shooting at each other. Definitely a no-no, but still done quite frequently.

      In the end, I guess telling you this is all bad and that you shouldn’t do it is kind of lost in the translation, instead, I ask you to use common sense, and supervise your young ones while they are playing with anything remotely dangerous including flaming marshmallows.  As far as yourself, if you are under the influence, just stay away from anything you need to dumb you down, you are already working under a handicap and you already have enough on your plate to cause you a whole room full of mess. Just chill and have a happy and safe Fourth.