July 4th, 2008
It was pretty late on July 4th when I finally hit the pavement for my run. I really wanted to get it out of the way earlier, but Jamey and I went to see Wall-E in the morning with our friend Mark. Then we just had to do some July 4th shopping (75% off shirts at Levi’s!) and stop for a holiday beer at a local hotspot called The Blind Tiger. We got to talking with the owner of the place and he was kind enough to let us sample some of his caviar dip made, not with cream or cheese but POTATOES! When I say it was freakin’ delicious – it’s a massive understatement. We paired it with some watermelon gazpacho and grilled cheese sandwiches. Needless to say, when he finally got back to Jamey’s I did not want to even think about a 5K. But, I made the challenge…and to quit only after 4 days would just seem asinine. So, as my boyfriend drifted off to napland I laced up my sneakers and headed out the door.
By this time, it was past 7:30 and being Jamey lives in Stuyvesant Town which is right off the East River where the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular takes place the streets were packed with people hurrying to get the best possible spot to view the show.
Seeing all these people – young and old alike reminded me of when I was a kid growing up in Clifton, New Jersey. From as early as I could remember, I loved Independence Day. I knew that there would be some fun to be had whether it was a nice family barbecue, a trip down to the shore, or a calm, relaxing day by the pool are just some of the ways to enjoy the 4th of July. But, no matter what, there will most definitely be one common brightspot in my July 4th celebration. FIREWORKS!!!
“The rockets red glare…the bombs bursting in air,” though not written to signify fireworks, this line from the National Anthem has definitely been transformed to mean as such. Today, fireworks on the 4th of July are as common as, well the holiday falling on July 4th. The reason? People are drawn to them.
People are always eager to set off bottle rockets, roman candles and an assortment of other Chinese imported exploding concoctions. Yes, they are all beautiful and breathtaking. Sure they are fun. And of course they have come to symbolize the celebration of our nation. But many seem to forget that fireworks can also be extremely dangerous. I forgot that fact once.
It was the 4th of July circa 1987. I was hanging out with a few friends of mine – Michelle, Brian and another Michelle. We were sitting around Michelle’s pool, laughing, eating and waiting for nightfall. Somehow, Brain got his hands on a garbage bag filled to the rim with all kinds of fireworks. We were all so excited to light the first bottle rocket and firecrackers, in what we believed would be the neighborhood’s finest fireworks extravaganza. In all actuality, we weren’t far from the truth.
When dusk finally fell and lightning bugs started filling the skies, Brian was already rifling through the bag, looking for the first firework he would ignite. The sound of fireworks exploding in the distance was our cue. Carefully, Brian placed a bottle rocket on a tire rim we had ‘acquired’ for the occasion and pointed it directly towards the darkened sky. He lit the fuse and within seconds, the rocket was flying up towards the heavens. A bright light and a subdued bang quickly followed. The four of us looked at one another and realized it really wasn’t that exciting. We were in the mood for something more!!
We soon started lighting off two and three fireworks at a time. We held roman hands in our hands as we pitched firecrackers at each other’s feet. It was so fun and not once did issues of safety and caution enter our teenaged minds. Brian haphazardly placed four bottle rockets on the tire rim and lit them all. Three careened off into the vast unknown. One sputtered on the rim, shot up about 10 feet, then took a nosedive and plunged into the garbage bag still filled with all kinds of explosives.
Within seconds of impact, my friends and I felt like we were under attack! The bag turned into a fireball, spewing bottle rockets in every direction. Firecrackers whizzed past our heads and exploded in midair. An array of colors shot into the sky as the intensifying fire that was once a garbage bag full of fun was scorching the earth around it. The whistling, exploding and unrelenting discord became ear shattering. In shock for a second, we all stood there, blinded by the glow and deafened by the noise. Then all at once, fear filled us and we turned to run. One Michelle, who happened to be lying on a lounge chair at the time, just rolled off and crawled across the concrete patio to escape, scrapping her knees in the process. The other Michelle ran into the fence because she couldn’t see and practically broke her arm. Firecrackers singed Brian’s leg as he ran from the inferno. I, luckily made it to safety unscathed and waited for the warfare to cease.
When it finally did, none of us spoke. We were just all amazed that, despite our blinded eyes, ringing ears, Michelle’s bleeding knees and other minor cuts, bruises and burns, we were otherwise unharmed.
About two minutes after the pulse racing excitement, an elderly neighbor woman leaned out her window and screamed, “What in the HELL was that?”
Well, that dear lady was the force of fireworks, mixed with the stupidity of careless teenagers making for a 4th of July celebration at its worst.
As I headed back to Jamey’s through the even more maddening crowd of hopeful firework spectators, I was happy to see that no one was brandishing any of their own fireworks. Especially me.
Hope you all had a great 4th. I did. I saw a great movie, got bargain shirts, ate free dip with great friends, ended up getting an amazing spot outside Jamey’s place to watch the fireworks extravaganza and ran another 5K thereby keeping my challenge alive. Plus, I didn’t lose a single appendage. Another successful Independence Day.
Hope you had a great one too.
-Qraig
Tags: 4th of July, 5K, running
