Newsletter #145 - Quiet, please
The sight of silence
I used to be obsessed with fireworks.
Fountains specifically. You know, the kind that only go about ten feet high.
Was it because I was born on the fourth of July?
Probably not. I liked fireworks for the same reason most people like them.
I enjoyed fireworks for their hypnotic visual displays and their captivating booms and crackles. They have an undeniably mesmerizing effect. Also, fireworks are often associated with celebrations and communal gatherings, evoking feelings of nostalgia, joy, and togetherness. I think those are the normal and healthy reasons to like fireworks.
But in recent years, long removed from the constant noise and hum of living in the city, I seem to have become allergic to fireworks.
The booms and crackles are simply too aggressive now. I’ve become so accustomed to the peace and quiet of nature that the sounds of fireworks are just way too loud for me. I can’t help but take it as a personal affront if I can hear them from my house.
What was I thinking back in 2012 shooting off these fireworks in pristine natural environments? I had absolutely no regard for the many residents who might be living in those places.
I grew to feel ashamed about it and stopped using fireworks for several years.
That said, last week I was feeling nostalgic for my younger, more oblivious ways, and I wanted to introduce some visual chaos into my life, so I visited a nearby fireworks store. I wasn’t looking for the kind of fireworks most people like, though. Instead I wanted to see if they made something that doesn’t make any noise.
I found a fountain called “Serenity” that’s marketed as a “colorful noiseless fountain.” Is this a sign that the fireworks industry is now catering to my very particular demographic of aging elder millennials who have an aversion to loud noises?
I bought it and set it off in my field.
The visual display it presented was beautiful and there were zero aggressive booms or cracks. Just a vague hiss. A sound you could probably describe as the static channel on TV.
It was a perfect representation of serenity.
Throwback
Newsletter #43 - My favorite firework
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Zach Vitale has never been a VIP at an event.
Kristen Neufeld also has a birthday that is overshadowed by a major US holiday.
Happy birthday, Noah! 🥳
Happy birthday. Mine is on the 6th.