I live in an awesome neighborhood. It just so happens that the avg household annual income of my hood is $40,000, with 24% of residents below the poverty line.
This was my first 4th of July in my neighborhood, and I am astounded at the amount of money people must have spent on fireworks.
Every night this summer people have been lighting fireworks off a few here and there. But over 4th of July weekend it was literally constant fireworks from the entire neighborhood from Friday to Monday. And not just little fountains, but huge air born fireworks. I felt like I was in the middle of a professional fireworks grand finale for 48 hours solid.
I really LOVE fireworks, but I actually started getting a fireworks hangover. It was just so much, you couldn't even appreciate it anymore. And then I got really sad when people were lighting off really expensive fireworks during the day! How sad to spend so much money and not even get to SEE the fireworks. Its like when you go to an all you can eat buffet, and you're full and sick but there's more food so you keep eating.
It just made me sad because it just seems so wasteful. I'm all for people having fun, and I think its fine to spend a little on luxuries for a holiday, regardless of your income level. A few fireworks, even a few big expensive ones; whatever if that's your thing. I'm trying to not be a jerk that's policing poor people, but households must have spent close to $1,000 on these fireworks, and I just don't get it. :(
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