I’m the type of person that usually doesn’t get excited about things until they are right there in front of me. I hadn’t planned on seeing fireworks tonight, but as dusk settled in, I started to sense the sweet smell of barbecues and see dancing silhouettes on rooftops. So at the very last moment I picked up the phone and called my friend who lives a few blocks away, to see if she wanted to go for a walk along the river to see fireworks. What a grand idea that turned out to be! All along the river there were families and tents, barbecues roaring and neon bracelets, necklaces and pacifiers gleaming against the impending darkness. It was a zoo of hardcore native New Yorkers and the local transplants that stayed back to enjoy the quiet city. It can’t get any better than that.
I didn’t know it at the time, but we chose a prime spot to watch the fireworks, standing directly across from the Macy’s sign. I had no idea that this was going to be the best spot I’ve ever had …even better than the various rooftops I’ve been on throughout the years I have lived here. The fireworks started and at first I was scared of how close they seemed. The ashes from the fireworks came down on us along with the rain. I was also scared from the loud booming sounds – that is something from my childhood that I can’t quite shake. It took some getting used to. As the pyrotechnics gained momentum, I found myself standing there like a little girl, all smiles, oohing and ahhhing along with the crowd! The rain didn’t bother me, I was so engrossed. My favorite part was the sequence that resembled a moving, starry sky – like something you’d see on the Hubble. The ones with the parachutes were awesome too… after the fireworks shot off, there were these strings of light falling slowly from the sky attached to parachutes. How brilliant! It made me wonder about the career path of pyrotechnic designers. That must be every boy’s dream. I was giddy, experiencing sensory overload and it was good clean fun!! I don’t remember ever enjoying fireworks as much as I did tonight. I must have been all smiles while walking home because a father and son duo passed by, the father’s eyes flashing as he says to me “Happy 4th, Beautiful”.
bloodsweatntears 