Adele, this phenomenal singer has won 77 awards and now is considered a paradigm of talent. For this contemporary generation she is a role model for all singers. Suzanne Collins, her books demonstrate a flawless trilogy and the fire in her novels may become low but it never dies. Each and every novelist that comes across her skill and fame would turn to her as a model for expert advice. LeBron James, he will never last a day without a swish. Basketball players of all ages look at LeBron as their role-model for athletic skill. These Americans skill and fame lead them to be exceptional role-models in our society today and I yearn for being one too. No I do not mean I want to be a singer, novelist, or basketball star but I desire to be a role-model. During this celebration of independence sneaking around the corner I am going to be a role-model of firework safety. Throughout this dissertation I will mention two ways I will and you can be a role-model for firework safety. I will be a role-model by firstly, using common sense and secondly, celebrating what truly matters-safety.

Now to begin; lets take a glimpse at what we Americans portray as “common sense”. You may respond with an answer such as “Don’t put the milk in the pantry” or “Don’t set the house on fire” When I pondered about what I thought common sense meant at this time of year I saw a movie playing in my head displaying purple, blue, and pink lights in the air crackling 500 times louder than my Rice Krispie cereal. I connected the word fireworks with using my common sense. Using common sense is mandatory while working alongside fireworks. In my perspective, using common sense is equivalent to using safety tips. If I would like to be a role-model I need to model what is safe such as being supervised when I use fireworks, wearing safety goggles, and keeping a bucket of water nearby. Lastly, one practice that guides me closer to using common sense is looking at the end result of what will happen if I am questioning an action. An example of using this practice is if my younger sister desired to use a sparkler I would think through possible consequences of providing her with a sparkler such as she burns herself or puts it in her mouth. It is common sense not to allow her to handle a sparkler because I can see the negative effects of allowing her to do so through using this method. According to nsc.org 9,200 people are treated in the hospital annually because of firework-related injuries but if every American used common sense that number would dramatically drop and everyone could become a role-model for firework safety.
Now that I have vowed to use common sense where is the fun? What is there to celebrate? On Independence Day we need to celebrate more than just our independence with horns blowing, fires burning, and lights exploding 50 feet high for all to stand in awe. Safety! This is a time to celebrate safety.
If as a role-model I celebrate safety the children I model for will soon learn to celebrate it too. To start off, as a free American I will start to embrace my freedom by following my local firework laws. Even though fireworks are now legal in my city I will still make myself aware of the current laws. Secondly, I will make other guest I am celebrating with aware of the laws, advice, and statistics. Holidays such as the Fourth every now and then can be difficult to enjoy if everyone does not feel safe but by having everyone informed, everyone can enjoy. I wish my parents or me would have been more aware of the advice that children under the age of 12 should not use sparklers or known the statistic according to nfpa.org that sparklers can become as hot as 1200 degrees because if I would of known this I would of never handled a sparkler at age nine. I pledge to make as many people as possible aware of firework safety tips because it is nowhere near okay with me that chacha.com lists the statistic that states on average 14-16 Americans die on the Fourth of July annually because of fireworks and in China more than 400 people die. Back when I was nine I thought sparklers were the coolest thing in the world but; looking back I dream that I would have been aware of how to be safe while handling one. No, I was not close to dying when my sparkler came into contact with my arm but if my parents would have been informed I would not have a scar from a second degree burn on my left arm from the Fourth of July in 2008. Not only is there a scar on my arm but there is a scar in my heart that leaves me wanting more and more to let everyone in on that celebrating safety is key to having something to celebrate and becoming a role model for all. Every Fourth of July from that day on meant celebrating safety with a dash of freedom.

Adele, Suzanne Collins, and LeBron James are all individuals I believe, have worked hard and are important role-models to many but you cannot die if you do not have music, books, or games but I realized that without safety you can die. That is why I want to be a role-model; a role-model for firework safety. Throughout this dissertation I have mentioned two ways I will and you can be a role-model for firework safety such as using common sense and celebrating what truly matters-safety. Role models are our blueprint for how we should behave in the future. That means if I do not model firework safety I should expect the next generation not to model firework safety too, I am their blueprint for living.