You’ll Burn Your Eye Out!

One of the parental killjoys that has stuck with me over the years has been my father’s aversion to sparklers.  Liz, however, had a very different childhood experience, so fireworks are less of a novelty to her.  Admittedly, I still giggle whenever I set off a bottle rocket.  I guess the bar’s been set pretty low.

I will attempt to quote my father’s response to a childhood inquiry regarding purchasing sparklers: “Those things are made of magnesium, which burns at 3000 degrees centigrade!  They use magnesium flares to weld underwater!  No you can’t have one!”.  That may not be a direct quote, but it includes all his points.

So when Liz picked some up for the kid, I thought about this past conversation.  A quick Google search reveals that, depending on the composition, they burn upwards of 1600 degrees Celsius–not quite as hot as my father claimed, but I still wouldn’t want to touch the flame.

But, like getting salmonella from raw cookie dough, some experiences are worth the danger risk.  Personally, I think it was just an excuse to avoid spending money on something superfluous–a reason that makes far more sense to me now as a father myself.  I wonder what goofy thing I say that my own kid will remember forever.

Ah well.  For now–fire!

–Simon

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