Fireworks
While growing up, the 4th of July meant that I'd get to buy some fireworks. Although there were other types of fireworks I could only convince my parents into letting me have firecracker and maybe sparklers. I liked Black Cat firecrackers because they seemed to have the loudest bang and fewer duds. I'd try to get as many as I could and would even use my own money to get more.
Being limited to mainly firecrackers I found different ways to use them and I remember propelling cans into the air with them. I'd place a lighted firecracker under an opened can bottom side up and run. Done just right I could launch the can into the air and occasionally see it soar as high as ten feet. I discovered that if you threw one into a tin garbage it sounded like a cannon going off and if you put one in a small pipe it made a smaller higher pitched pop.
Using toy soldiers, I'd lay out a battlefield complete with tanks and launch bombs or I'd strategically place them where they'd have the most devastating effect on the small army.
In preparation for New Years, fireworks were sold in late December. Although it didn't snow much in Arkansas when it did it was usually a wet snow perfect for snowballs. By placing a firecracker in a snowball you could turn them into grenades thus increasing the thrill of a snowball fight.
Fireworks can be dangerous but what's life without a little risk. I'd had a few close calls and even had a couple of fast burners go off in my hand. While those did hurt my hand none were sever and I soon be back, thought being more careful, throwing them.
My fascination with firecrackers took a blow in my late teens. I had bought a 1000 pack of Black Cats and separated them into a paper bag. Having taken up the bad habit of smoking cigarettes (I've since quit), I'd use them to light the firecrackers. Now the bad thing about using cigarettes is that occasionally a hot ash will fall and burn whatever it falls on. I was sitting cross-legged with the bag tucked in the little spot between your legs and crotch with an almost full 1000 pack of separated Black Cats when those firecrackers began going off.
I don't know if I'd ever so quickly in my life and fortunately I was saved form any lasting injuries. I learned a valuable lesson that day and haven't used firecracker since. No I use bottle rockets because you can hold the end of the stick keeping the explosive part away from your hand and launch them. They travel a lot farther than firecracker and are a lot more fun when used in a bottle rocket war.
© Randall J. Beers
February 23, 2002
Warning: It is not advisable to launch bottle rockets at another person.
Personal note: It can be a lot of fun though…..
