Chapter 15: Fireworks.

fireworks always makes me think of my childhood. they remind me of a time when things were never complicated than who got to be "it" first or what flavor of ice cream i wanted that day. though i carefully deliberated all of my choices, i realize now that many of them could have been made with my eyes closed and my finger pointing in any direction. i'm pretty sure that others also share this sentiment and love for fireworks. so much so that every 4th of july, hundreds upon thousands of fireworks are lit all over the country.

this year was no different, except for the fact that i was at school for the holiday this year. my friends and i decided to make a day of it with pancakes in the morning and then going down to the philadelphia museum of art to see the customary fireworks. as the eleven of us trooped downtown

i did notice the clouds out of the corner of my eye as i packed my umbrella and hoped for the best. as we crossed through the parade (just as the alien impersonators passed by. i don't know either.), a few more clouds rolled in and ponchos came out. lo and behold, the skies opened up and out poured the rain. the eleven of us crowded under what i could only call 2.5 umbrellas, shivering as it got colder and darker. a few of us remained hopeful, saying that the fireworks were coming any minute now.

we didn't know at the time, but aretha franklin performed about 50 feet away from us, but as the speakers weren't turned on, we had no idea. some of our party left around 10pm, which made sense considering we had been there since, oh, about 7, 7:30? the worst part of the night, as if it could get any worse, was at 11, when it was announced that there would be no fireworks that evening.

none. nothing. not even one little flare. i don't think i've ever felt so heart broken in my life. there went my one break from the everyday, my fifteen minutes of regressing to my 12-year-old self, my one chance at getting lost in nothingness as my senses were dazzled by lights of different colors and sizes.

as we walked home in the rain, no less, i think the only words that were spoken were grunts of disapproval and sighs of regret. i couldn't remember ever being so disappointed in recent years. just as we passed a clearing in the middle of the city, we were overcome by the glorious sight of white lights and the loud boom of sparks. it was a miracle, i tell you, a miracle! all of us sat right there and watched as the next 15 minutes made our night. we waited an extra five minutes at the end just to make sure that there were no more. after seeing our hearts content worth of fireworks, we went home.

i don't think i've ever enjoyed fireworks more than i did that night. not only did the initial disappointment add to the effect, but spending it with some of the most amazing people i have ever met made it all the better. some how, that night turned people who i've been going to school for at least a year into people i've come to cherish and adore. haha, as cheesy as that may sound. and the best part of it all, is that the same feeling of ecstatic joy i get during fireworks, i now get whenever i see one of these people. i don't know about you, but i like a little cheesy-ness in my life.