Brain Suffering From ‘Firework Fatigue’

The fireworks over downtown Cedar Rapids were something, weren't they? But as I sat there watching them I couldn't help but think to myself, 'I've seen this before...." As a matter of fact, I'd seen amateur displays the past several nights and they left me with what I can only describe as 'Firework Fatigue'.

I love fireworks, don't get me wrong. I'm glad they're legal and I shot off my share this year too. But night after night if you gazed into the sky you were treated to numerous neighborhood displays. Some so elaborate that you swore you were watching a professional show. They were impressive, even if everyone wasn't happy they were being shot off. But somewhere during all those nightly displays, we lost something. The novelty of it all. Maybe fireworks were so exciting because they used to be hard to get! You had to travel across state lines and break the law to even have them! Not anymore. You can pick them up outside your local grocery store.

And even though the fireworks downtown on the 4th were great, the novelty of a fireworks show was somehow diminished for me. How are we supposed to marvel at something that we've seen every night for a week? Count me as one person that has had enough fireworks for awhile. Not because of the nuisance, but because they've become normalized.