Friday, July 3, 2015

That time I got burnt by a sparkler

As the Fourth of July arrives, I am filled with childhood memories of summer: going to camp and catching fireflies, of riding bikes and when Dad fired up the grill because it was too hot for Mom to use the oven every night. I can even remember the one summer there was a lunar eclipse and I was allowed to stay up and watch it.

What I don't remember is the time that I got burnt by a sparkler. As the story goes, it was the Fourth of July and there was a celebration at our house and all the children were given sparklers. At one point, a lit sparkler went down my shirt and there was a lot of screaming and a rush of adults trying to help. To this day I have no memory of this event or any scars from the sparkler.

Which makes me lucky, I guess. And because I've heard the story so many times, it also makes me wary: I haven't given my son sparklers at any point in his life so far, and am probably not going to start anytime soon. For him, the Fourth of July means that there will be fireworks that can be watched from the backyard, lots of glowsticks to wear and brighten up the night and (hopefully) a giant squirt gun battle with family in the backyard. No sparklers required.

What I'm trying to say is: Be safe this holiday.

Do you have any holiday mishaps to share? Tell me about them in the comments.

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