I sometimes think that I can measure my life in fireworks. It's a privilege that was afforded to me growing up in a country with a pension for them and a state that has a full industry that relies on them (theme parks, I'm looking at you). We can measure our lives by so many different things... achievements earned, friends, lovers, hairstyles, flights taken, or Chipotle burritos eaten. Fireworks though, they have a certain romance about them in of themselves. They are the ultimate symbol of grandeur - for a moment in time everyone stares up at a glittering sky and marvels at the wonders of human creation against the backdrop of a vast unyielding universe.
My favorite moment comes at the end, when everyone gasps at the big finale and claps. It's the ultimate movie that I've come back to see at various different points in my life. Here are some:
My favorite moment comes at the end, when everyone gasps at the big finale and claps. It's the ultimate movie that I've come back to see at various different points in my life. Here are some:
I am 21 with my best friend Suzie. I am home from studying in England and she is home from college. We travel to the ocean and meander around a floating dock swelled with party goers. We watch the smoke from the fireworks drift over the Atlantic ocean.
I am 9 and visiting L.A. It's the 4th of July and we spend way too long looking for a space in a full parking garage. We bring a blanket out to a hilly park and sit as a large family to see the fireworks. I am upset because of the loud noises.
I am 15 and at Disney World. The firework show begins and I have my first kiss. I think that this is unbelievably corny, but appreciated my boyfriends dedication compositing the perfect moment.
I am 22 and I've just biked through crowds of families and hippies. Arriving at an inlet in the San Francisco bay me and my friends who also work on the farm put down our bikes and lay in the grass. I look at them with their heads on top of each others bellies with fondness.
I am 17 and in Boston, it's the 4th of July again and I sit in a harbor with new friends who will soon become old acquaintances. It's my first time away from home and I feel exhilarated with independence.
What are some of your most vivid memories of fireworks?
This is a really cool way to mark time, to trace your growth through your fireworks experiences. If not for my cheap bike, I would have been right there with you and the hippies laying in the grass. Next time, I guess.
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