The other day a group of my neighbors & I talked about our days growing up and how "where we are from" has shaped our differing attitudes and opinions on things like . . . . home fireworks.
In our little cluster we had opinions representing Louisiana, Pennsylvania (your truly), Connecticut and Texas. The only woman who even seemed to come close to identifying with my adamant loathing of home fireworks was from Connecticut . . . . go figure.
My next door neighbor (Texas) was so funny - she sent me an email re-assuring me that she didn't plan to set off any of the typical exploding home fireworks (only sparklers and some other things I had never heard of)
I sent her a quick email and have included her really funny response! Here they are:
My email:
"It is that PA mentality, I guess.
In school, at home, on PBS, at church,
EVERYWHERE certain rules and convictions were drummed into us:
- don't play with matches
- don't smoke cigarettes
- fireworks are dangerous
- wear layers to keep warm
- Philly cheese steaks are the best
___________________________________________________
Her response:"And my TX mentality has been molded by these beliefs:
- don't play with matches? If you can't play with matches how in the
world are you gonna light your cigarette!- Yes, fireworks are dangerous - be sure to light them a safe distance from your firearms.
- wear layers to keep warm? No, it's 'wear layers of baby oil to get that Texas
skin-cancer-beach-tan'- Philly cheese steaks are the best? Well, chicken fried steaks are
better....."
3 comments:
That's hilarious!
I would add that in Texas you also learn not to light fireworks while holding your gun (which, of course, you have out to shoot up in the air to add to the festivities). :) I don't think many people do that here in the 'burbs, but when I lived in a more rural area it was pretty common.
LOL! This is so funny! I love that regional pride! Where we were from in VA, you didn't do fireworks. You just didn't. Where we live now in rural Colorado, if you don't have fireworks poppin in your back forty long about now, the neighbors worry that there's been a death in the family or something.
LOL -- you guys are so great for commenting.
Jennifer - so far, no shooting into the sky . . . . but LOTS of fireworks. It is technically against the homeowners association rules but NO ONE enforces it on the 4th or New Year's Eve.
I keep laughing thinking "in Texas you also learn not to light fireworks while holding your gun."
Lisa - fireworks poppin in the back forty sounds so much more sane than setting them off in the burbs!! But, I guess the more space you have the bigger the fireworks.
In PA (sounds like where you are from in VA) you didn't do fireworks. You just didn't. Just like I would never even think of driving my kids without seatbelts, you never even thought about home fireworks. It was an oxymoron.
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