Magical Moment 150, "A Few Priceless Moments"

Today we plan to fight the crowds, the heat, and the traffic, all to catch an unobstructed view of the magnificent fireworks show put on by Macy’s Department Store over the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey. This is our first 4th of July in this area and will be vastly different than the home town parades and celebrations that I'm used to in Nebraska. I wouldn't miss fireworks for the world though. Ever since I was a little girl, I've been fascinated with them, and thought, "This must be what real magic looks like."

After doing our research on the subject, we learned that in order to have a fighting chance at claiming a good piece of ground, we should arrive no later than 4 pm for the 9 pm show. There will be no funnel cake stands, ferris wheels, or arts and crafts booths to entertain us while we wait in the stifling heat and humidity. Instead we’ve packed a cooler full of picnic food, a blanket, a radio, and board games.

Eddie and I went through a similar experience on Thanksgiving when we decided to go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We arrived at 6 am to find a parking spot, staked out about 3 square feet of personal space, and stood for hours in the cold. There were no restrooms or porta-potties and we wound up with a parking ticket, despite our careful reading of all the traffic signs and regulations.

The funny thing is, we were two of millions going through this series of events that to anyone else, sounds like an awful headache. And even more funny, we’ll probably do it all again next year. There is something unexplainably special about these holiday celebrations. They create excitement, anticipation, and an uncharacteristic willingness to go through the most tiresome and strange things. But as we contemplate all the meaning and significance of today and other holidays, we know the difficulties will only last a few hours but the payment for all our effort is a lifetime of memories and stories about the time we got to watch a few moments of magic.

Happy Independence Day!

"Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom."

-Albert Einstein

Comments

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-

Search This Blog