All the Ways to Celebrate the 4th of July Without Stressing Out So Many Humans and Dogs

Thinking about all the people who have come to the US from war-torn countries

I found a unique location to celebrate July 4th this year. It was not where I was intending to go.

My only plans for the day were to write and figure out how to keep the dog, Tex, calm while the cannon-like mega fireworks continued from sundown until 1:00 AM, or at least that’s when I usually fell off to sleep.

Last year, the dog spent the night barking at each war-like explosion, except for the few times I could get him to stop by using treats. Tex was certain our house was under attack. His barking served as a protective shield, or so I thought he thought.

But, on the other hand, fireworks are annoying and stress many people out

Whatever connection fireworks once had to the liberation of the US from British rule, has been replaced by commercialism.

I can’t stop thinking of all the people, from numerous races and historical backgrounds for whom the sound of rockets, pop pop pops in a row, and unpredictable explosions cause post-traumatic stress and other forms of disturbance.

It seemed especially odd yesterday given how many wars are spread across the globe. There are the seemingly never-ending battles between Russia and Ukraine, and the Israelis and Palestinians, and that’s just the beginning. Wars continue in such locations as Nigeria, Sudan, Syria, Ethiopia, and Myanmar in addition to drug wars in Mexico and South America.

Closer to home, over 300 mass shootings have occurred in the US since the beginning of the year.

I’m questioning whether celebratory fireworks are still a good idea.

Back to the story I started nine paragraphs ago. How I celebrated the 4th this year.

It started with a dog walk, an hour or two later than I meant to embark. The temperature was steadily rising. The air was increasingly smokey. I kept to the shade as much as possible on the walk, but there were big patches where the sun dominated. My balance was great in the shady parts, but slowed and less steady in the heat.

I should add that I wasn’t particularly well hydrated yesterday morning and felt periodic dizziness as the heat increased. I took a small break sitting on a shaded bench in a community garden. I probably should have stayed there longer but I was hungry for lunch. Tex and I pushed on.

I hit a wall, just a block from arriving back home. The dog didn’t pull me. I just became incredibly dizzy and passed out. My head hit the ground. When I came to, a young man was standing next to me, asking if I was okay. I tried to sit up and brush off the fall, but the guy who stopped to help me had to lift me to a standing position and then stood there as I struggled to regain balance.

He asked me what happened. He had been driving down the street when I fell. He quickly parked his car and came running, as did his partner. It turns out that he was a doctor and she was a hospital social worker. Perfect people to come to the rescue which they did, with apparent skill.

They helped me walk Tex home and put him in his kennel. They waited while I grabbed my insurance card. Then they drove me to the nearest hospital ER. Ironically, the young man turned out to be a doctor who was scheduled to begin a new job on Wednesday in the radiation department of the hospital he and his partner took me to.

The couple made sure I checked in okay in the ER and was on the way to see a nurse. I still can’t believe that the guy who stopped to help me was a doctor.

What were the odds of that happening?

I spent the next three hours in the ER getting every possible test from a CT scan of my brain to ensure there was no bleeding, and an X-ray of my elbow which was a bloody mess but there were no broken bones. Everything checked out fine. The nurse offered pain medications but I only wanted aspirin or Ibuprofen. I got both.

I also got an EKG and a blood draw. I received information about changing my dressing.

On my elbow every day and some initial supplies until I could find all the supplies I needed at Walgreens. A hospital social worker arranged for a Lyft to take me home.

I let my partner Beth, who currently is doing business in Japan, know what happened. She called back after I returned home. She started by stating that I couldn’t depend on good luck. I needed to start wearing a climbing helmet, getting a 9–1–1 emergency button to wear around my neck. In addition, she wanted me to make a tag, stating that I’m a cancer patient and to take me to a University of Washington-related.

I’ll do at least a few of her suggestions by the time she gets home at the end of July.

I’ll also start taking more precautions like walking Tex shorter distances in the early, cooler morning.

I’ll try out the in-house stair master, which I’ll likely watch a series or a movie along with so I don’t get bored out of my mind. And I’ll take Tex for a second walk during and after the sunset.

I’m not intending to start a new July 4th tradition of visiting the ER after an unplanned injury, but that experience renewed my belief in the kindness and generosity of most people. It also reminded me to be prepared for anything, and grateful when a bit of magic happens.