Independence Day

The Fourth of July arrived to me on a sweaty Tuesday in the neighborhood of Lincoln Park.  My parents were having a barbeque at their house on the Northwest side of Chicago.  I declined the invitation I was given over the phone so that I could partake in the festivities that where to take place in my neighborhood that night, fireworks by the lake.  Before I left my apartment to walk along the lakefront I placed my keys in my back pocket.  I left at seven so that I would be able to stay out for a while to see the fireworks.

The path along Lake Michigan glowed with the energy of youth.  The mobs were thick and I found myself walking at a slow pace to keep up.  I didn’t know anyone but I felt like I was walking among my best friends.  Blankets plastered with cartoon characters and Disney princess illustrations were spread out on the cement in front of the crystal turquoise water.  During the winter I walk or run this path almost alone, except for a few brave souls that can bear the bitter cold like me.  Those cold nights the only sound I can hear along the lake is the hum of the water fading to and from the shore and the buzz of traffic that passes over Lake Shore Drive above me. 

I walked up the path to the block across from Navy Pier and did a figure eight back into the chaos of vivacity.  I planned on pursuing the path up to Fullerton and Lake Shore Drive and then finding a spot to sit and watch the fireworks.  During my walk the path had three levels of depth; completely dense, partially occupied, or almost empty except for a few stragglers.  I made the turn in front of the Italian ice shack diagonal of Navy Pier to find a partially occupied space.  Throughout the night I had made eye contact with people, but I never had addressed anyone with the confidence of a smile until I came across a short woman with light brown skin.  She grinned at me and I grinned back.  I could define her presence and the look in her soft brown eyes as empty, but our connection was the most personal that I found that night.  Still, it lacked the energy of the crowd.

When I reached my destination I plopped myself down in front of the water.  To my left on the water there was a duck surrounded by two ducklings.  I zoned out and watched them before looking up to the boom of fireworks that matched the explosion of color in the sky.  Circles of red, white and blue rose above me, and I realized that I found a dependency on life and happiness on independence day.