I’ve been thinking about fireworks. Honestly, not what I thought my blog post would start with – I chose July 5th for my blog date because it just so happens to be my birthday, but as it turns out, the real inspiration came from the day before: the United States’ very own Independence Day, and more specifically all the colorful flashes and bangs that come with it.
What is the allure of fireworks? Why do people gather so enthusiastically, only to sit still and stare at the sky for 20 minutes straight? To answer that, it might be helpful to take a step back and look at what defines “good” vs “bad” fireworks. After all, saying something is “good” is just another way of saying that the aspects we like the most about that thing have been amplified. In regards to fireworks, while the answer may depend on the person, I landed on a few primary criteria while I was craning my neck at the sky last night. Take a look at these two pictures, and see if you can figure out what factors make fireworks better or worse:
Hopefully It’s clear that the image on the right is just incomparably better. It’s brighter, louder (or so you can imagine), and there’s just more going on in every way. And this is a universal opinion: the image on the left is from a random YouTube video titled “Boring fireworks” (I hope he got his money back), and the image on the right is from a blog post called “The Most Epic Fireworks Photo EVER”. Quite the juxtaposition.
But here’s a thought. Maybe that universal adrenaline rush and amazement we get from fireworks is more learned than implicit. Didn’t you cower in fear at those same explosions and loud noises as a kid? Does that make you a hypocrite? Of course not. All it indicates is that, somewhere in those years, there was a change of mind, and a drastic one at that. One of the scariest things became one of the best. Nothing about the fireworks changed – if anything, they probably got even bigger and louder as pyrotechnic technology developed. Rather, the change was entirely internal. Somehow, without needing to change your external surroundings at all, you not only adapted and overcame, but you conquered and took control.
Therein lies the crux of this post: the power of perspective. After all, isn’t SSP, and any challenge, for that matter, just a fireworks show? We may start off feeling intimidated, overwhelmed, or confused, but as soon as that perspective shift takes place, we’re thriving. The program itself didn’t change – you did. Rather than stepping away (which you easily could have done), you decided to lean into the perplection, and at least for me personally, it’s already paid off.
Of course, this isn’t just a magical process. As the sage and judicious Uncle Ben famously imparted upon his grandson, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Because that same firework that has the power to instill awe also has the power to be incredibly dangerous – in 2020, there were 15,600 reported injuries caused by fireworks. Do those reckless incidents make fireworks themselves reckless? No – recklessness is an adjective used to describe the user, not the object. Fireworks are what we make of them. If we do our part, they’re inherently beautiful, but really, isn’t that only because we’re there to see them? Likewise, although SSP is implicitly a fantastic program, it can only be great if its audience – us – takes away all those great things. We have to watch the fireworks show in the here and now. After all, everyone knows that recording fireworks never turn out well. Rather than stressing about what we’ll get out of this, trying to pull out a camera and record the exSSPlosions in the sky to post on Instagram later, why not just ride the wave and experience the moment? As with fireworks, the gratification is in the process itself. Beyond our instantaneous enjoyment, fireworks are pointless, and while our work at SSP may contribute to science, the learning process that we will go through far overshadows any other potential benefits.
It all boils down to this: as long as we harness the great power and potential that SSP unlocks for us, and appreciate this amazing opportunity we’ve been given, I’m certain that we’ll pass with flying colors. Enjoy the show, SSP 2021. Don’t blink, or you just might miss it 😉
-Emily
