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July the Fourth.
There's something very nice about experiencing a collective event by yourself. At least, for me. On two levels tonight: the major fireworks displays all over New Jersey and south down the Hudson, and everyone else I knew who was watching them. I'd been invited to my parents' rooftop for their viewing party and wandered over a few minutes before it was set to begin. I chatted, had some wine, had a couple blueberries, and when I heard the show start, realized a different portion of the roof - not quite fenced off, but set away - would have the better view. So I wandered over and planted myself there.
Nobody followed me.
I'd said aloud that there'd be better views there, but either nobody heard me or nobody wanted to give it a shot. In the end, I was by myself on that part of the roof, without any little strings of lights around me and a bit water tower overhead cutting out even more of the glare. It was dark, it was fairly quiet, I was alone and I had the best view on the roof. At one point I stood on one of the little elevated platforms holding up one of the tower's support struts and hung off it like a lamppost, just for kicks, without stopping my watching of the big show downtown. I don't know how they got the effects they did - some sort of hexagon thing, and rings like Saturn's got - but I know that they all made smoke, and when there was enough smoke the fireworks lit them up like a lightning storm, but in greens and blues and reds, or just so bright I could see the texture and depth of the smoke as it moved into clouds, it was a wonderful sight to have all to myself.
I know it wasn't entirely and completely to myself. There was everyone else was on the other side of the roof, and the roofs around us, and the whole rest of Manhattan.
It was that besides the joy of the fireworks and all the light and sounds they brought, it was a rare moment I really was by myself in New York City.
Nobody followed me.
I'd said aloud that there'd be better views there, but either nobody heard me or nobody wanted to give it a shot. In the end, I was by myself on that part of the roof, without any little strings of lights around me and a bit water tower overhead cutting out even more of the glare. It was dark, it was fairly quiet, I was alone and I had the best view on the roof. At one point I stood on one of the little elevated platforms holding up one of the tower's support struts and hung off it like a lamppost, just for kicks, without stopping my watching of the big show downtown. I don't know how they got the effects they did - some sort of hexagon thing, and rings like Saturn's got - but I know that they all made smoke, and when there was enough smoke the fireworks lit them up like a lightning storm, but in greens and blues and reds, or just so bright I could see the texture and depth of the smoke as it moved into clouds, it was a wonderful sight to have all to myself.
I know it wasn't entirely and completely to myself. There was everyone else was on the other side of the roof, and the roofs around us, and the whole rest of Manhattan.
It was that besides the joy of the fireworks and all the light and sounds they brought, it was a rare moment I really was by myself in New York City.
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