As you celebrate the holidays, Christmas, and New Years in particular, what is your plan? Did you even have a plan of what you desired to do? Did you conform to family traditions? Or did you spontaneously decide as you went along? I know as you’re reading this blog post-Christmas has passed, as it was Friday. But, still, as Christmas approached, did you take time to consider and evaluate how your festivities would impact those around you? Or the aftermath of what your celebration would cause environmentally? Sometimes it is easy to feel as though it’s my life and have the mindset of this is what I want to do and I can do it, so I will.
And while I don’t advocate living your life to please others, it is very true that we live in a world that clearly includes others. There’s no place we can go in the world and totally avoid others. Yes, there are some areas where neighbors and businesses are far apart, yet, people are around. To think or believe that you can avoid others and live life on Earth would be preposterous. So, I know that you are aware that contact, interactions, and relationships with others are unavoidable. Even if we don’t particular care for the location we currently live in or choose to not be friends with the people in our neighborhood, our choices, particularly if we choose outdoor celebrations and activities such as fireworks do have an impact on those in our communities and all those participating in the festivities.
Fireworks have their time and place. In my opinion, as individuals we should properly weigh the continuous use of fireworks during our celebrations because of the adverse aftermath they leave behind. Just think, do you know if there’s a mother who may have recently had a newborn? Is there a young man who may be raising toddlers? A former solider suffering from PTSD or someone who has an on-call job? What about animals? Does your neighbor have any? Are their strays around regularly? Do you have elderly people in your area or anyone who may suffer from tinnitus? You see both you and I, live amongst people.
If you choose to carry on as though you don’t that showcases your lack of respect and consideration for others. I don’t know your area, but in my neighborhood the fireworks started on Christmas Eve around 6 PM and continued well into the night and I mean until almost 2 AM. That’s right – 8 hours of people carrying on outdoors, as though they live on the planet alone – with no regard for those around them. This speaks to their attitude of entitlement and state of mindlessness. It shows that they did not consider anyone or anything, but themselves. Because let’s be honest is there any reason to string along popping fireworks that long?
In 8 hours, they could have gone to work? In 8 hours, they could have done something that would produce a greater return on investment. Yes, popping fireworks can be fun or create a memorable moment. Still, in the city limits, amongst your neighbors, for an extended time, into the early morning – why? Now while some who are reading my post may have also decided to pop fireworks the question at hand is why? What was the purpose or intent behind your celebration? And did you too carry on in your community as though you live there alone? After all, when I think about the birth of Christ and how He was born in a manger the fact is there was no fanfare or thunderous announcement about his birth.
As to avoid the fulfillment of King Herod’s decree, his parents, Mary, and Joseph had to flee the city during the night and go to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-18). In this year of 2020, with numerous families suffering from loss and sickness due to COVID-19, the virus that we have all come to know and realize attacks our respiratory system, had at one point caused us as a society to evaluate what is truly worth celebrating. So much so, I would not have thought so many would have invested in fireworks this year. Particularly when there still seems to be much frustration with the failure of congress to act on behalf of the American people to pass another stimulus package.
No judgement from me if you did buy fireworks. The point I am making is even if you don’t see the fireworks you bought as an investment it is. Because you could have done several things with the money you used to purchase fireworks. And while the uncertainty of what will be to come in the upcoming days may not weigh on us all the same, the rising death tolls and lack of financial stability, due to furloughs, layoffs, and closures due to the shutdown COVID-19 caused is still something that should be as a society at the forefront of our minds. Yes, no one knows if we will live to see tomorrow. Still, the Earth is the only planet that we can live on.
The fact that we unnecessarily and voluntarily put toxic chemicals in our air – lead, copper, charcoal, sulfur, strontium, titanium, potassium nitrate, and other toxic chemicals matter and have consequences that we can’t see. Those consequences negatively impact our health, cause unnecessary fear and anxiety in animals, lead to avoidable injuries and so much more. I personally believe the government should ban the sale of fireworks to civilians, due to the way in which I see first-hand how so many overly and unwisely use them in their “celebrations”. Consequently, if you truly value life, your ability to breathe quality air, our planet, and want to promote good will amongst all men, I encourage you to think twice about celebrating with fireworks, especially for extended periods of time.
~The way in which you choose to celebrate and your thought process behind it shows if you have a mindset that thinks beyond the moment to see the microscopic~ Coach Sam
If you’re interested in further reading about the negative effects of fireworks and their components, I have linked two articles below with their respective authors
Illuminating the Toxicity of Fireworks by Charlotte Means https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/illuminating-the-toxicity-of-fireworks/
Common Fireworks Release Lead, Copper & Other Toxic Metals into the Air by Terry Gordon https://nyulangone.org/news/common-fireworks-release-lead-copper-other-toxic-metals-air
~Exalted Royalty~ A C. E. SAM COMPANY~
