Pyromania and Paranoia!

My father�s company imported fireworks from China when I was growing up. I don�t mean a few sparkles either; he imported fireworks by the shipful. There were always mountains of fireworks around the house.

As you can imagine, this made me the most popular kid in the neighborhood on the 4th of July. I would be given samples of all the goodies way before the holiday and instructed to set them off and report back what the particular pyrotechnical item did. Chinese folks name their fireworks things like �Bubble Bee and Chrysanthemum� and from the names, you don�t know if it�s going to be a pretty shower of color or a window shattering kaaaa-BOOM!

I had the coolest summer job in the universe. Me and the boys in the �hood started celebrating in mid-June. I scorched my fingers, blew my eyelashes off and could stay out all summer night without worrying about mosquitoes. My cousin, Roy, even developed a bottle rocket cannon and together we declared war the local gurls.

But that was then and this is now. I am an adult and a parent. I worry.

Is a misguided bottle rocket going to burn the wooden shingles on my house? Will Maria blow off her fingers if we give her a sparkle? Or singe her eyelashes?

It�s hot out there! West Nile is out there. Don�t go outside without sunscreen. For God�s sake get the potato salad out of the sun. Kids don�t go out on the dock without lifejackets. Nobody that has had more than 1 beer is driving. What�s the calorie count of that handcranked ice cream? Be sure that chicken is cooked all the way through.

Happy 4th of July. Try to have a good time...if you can.

Want some fun, go Here and set off some SAFE and SANE fireworks.

3 People have told Dr JJ all about it