When I was younger and lived in a US state where buying fireworks was illegal, we’d drive to the nearest state without the prohibition to stock up on sparklers and bottle rockets to celebrate the Fourth of July. (side note: now it is legal in my home state, and you can buy a variety pack of fireworks and other explosive items at the local WalMart. Times, they are a changing).

The family put a halt to the home display of explosive fun when a bottle rocket fell over, barely missed our heads, and hit my grandfather’s pickup truck. Nothing like watching fire dancing around under an old truck. We still snuck in sparklers occasionally.

Despite, or because of that beginning, I always wanted to see the fireworks on the mall in Washington DC. I was fortunate and lucky enough to manage that one summer during college. There’s nothing quite like going to the mall on a hot summer day, and sitting and waiting with oh, about a half million others. That’s not an exaggeration, by the way. I sat under the Washington Monument, and though I had to squeeze onto the Metro with all my friends afterward, with thousands of other celebrators, I had a blast. I remember it fondly and with a bit of patriotism mixed with a slight edge of why-did-I-bother? The fireworks weren’t all that. I’ve since decided the best fireworks I’ve ever seen were after a Braves game.

I hate crowds.

But this was an experience I’m glad I didn’t miss. To see whole families gathered to watch something I guess I’d call a national treasure was awe inspiring. It’s an indelible memory that still brings a bit of sting to my eye.

What about you, have you battled the crowds to see a grand fireworks show? Did you enjoy it?

Have you nearly exploded a vehicle with a bottle rocket?

Ella Drake, author of “Firestorm on E’Terra” in
Hearts Afire: December, a novella finalist in the 2010 PRISM awards.

To learn more about Ella, visit her on her webpage at www.elladrake.com.
Ella can also be found on facebook and twitter.