Fireworks

When I was in Greece, I attended Easter services on the island of Tinos. It’s traditional in many parts of Greece to set off fireworks at midnight on Holy Saturday, and that’s exactly what happened. People were shooting them from the courtyard of the church, less than a hundred feet away from where I was standing. Combine that with dynamite, and it was the most terrifying experience of my life. But at the same time, it was exhilarating. In that courtyard, surrounded by thousands of locals celebrating the most important holiday of the year, I really felt like part of the community.

Last Friday, I went onto my rooftop to watch the Macy’s fireworks for Independence Day. Since my apartment is very close to the Brooklyn Promenade, one of the official viewing spots, we were bound to have a good view. Turns out there were a couple taller buildings that blocked about a third of the fireworks, but I’ll take a little obstruction over the chaos of the Promenade any day.

A partially obstructed view of the fireworks, but a gorgeous view of Lower Manhattan!

As on Tinos, there were too many people too close for my comfort. (Many of my building’s residents invited friends, and a few random tourists also appeared to have wandered up.) And as on Tinos, the fireworks were close enough to send me back to my apartment with smoke in my eyes and ash in my hair.

But you know what? When I saw the reflection of the fireworks in the glass of Manhattan’s skyscrapers, and the spire of One World Trade Center in lights, everything was worth it. And when somebody put on a playlist of patriotic music and the guys started a chant of “USA! USA!” that spread to other Brooklyn rooftops, I once again felt like part of a community.

Like many students who study abroad, I returned slightly disillusioned about the US’s role in world affairs. But Friday night reminded me that ultimately, I’m still very proud to be American.

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