Friday Night Lights

Growing up in Fowlerville, we oohed and aahed at the fireworks show put on for the 4th of July at the fairgrounds.  Some years we had to wear jackets and long pants because there was a chill present in the air.  Other years, we couldn't even play with sparklers for fear that we'd catch fire from the amount of mosquito spray we had on. 

The fireworks show would carry on for between 30 and 45 minutes.  Wow!, one might think.  How could a tiny speck of a town afford to host such a spectacular?  Well, it couldn't.  So instead, one bright burst of light would be sent into the sky every 3 to 5 minutes....sometimes more sporadically.  After a good while there would be a pause, longer than 5 minutes, before several rockets were ignited to close the show with a 30-second finale (I'm being generous).  We learned to wait and wait some more just in case there were multiple finales, which occurred a handful of times.

I like fireworks just as much as the next person, especially the sound of them.  Fireworks command attention.  They are loud.  They are bright.  They must be watched. 

Hilton Hawaiian Village is just a couple of blocks from our condo in Honolulu.  The area of town we lived in wasn't at all on the square system where roads run parallel to each other.  This is important information because we could hear the Friday night fireworks show from our condo.  We could even see light reflecting off many of the tall buildings near us; we just couldn't see them from our lanai.  Thankfully, one of the best places to be a spectator is at Ala Moana Beach Park, also a short walk from our place.  Here, families, couples, and fisherman all gather for the weekly fireworks show at 7:45pm.  Jeff and I loved to be in the crowd as often as we could.

Jeff and I made it a priority to attend on our final Friday in the islands, this time with his parents as guests.  We got right up to the shore and found a good spot in the grass.  Jeff always pointed out the colors reflecting on the boats in the harbor, on the water, and on the hotels nearby.  There were so many sights to take in for the 5, quick minutes of the show. 

Talk about a far cry from the show I grew up watching in Fowlerville.  There were no breaks in the action.  Reds, whites, blues, greens, such an array of colors.  I hold fond memories of nibbling on  breadsticks and sitting on the hood of the car to watch the fireworks show in Fowlerville but, nothing compares to seeing the lights above the water. 

The crowd, including Jeff and I, were silently mesmerized by the show; no oohing or aahing could be heard.  At the conclusion, the crowd broke out into applause as smoke drifted over the hotels and condo buildings.  Car alarms could be heard from the harbor's parking lot.  By 8:00, the dark, black park would be nearly emptied out. 

 

Jeff and I always strolled out slowly, hand in hand, taking in and savoring the moments. 

A Walk in the Rain

It's the kind of day that keeps soup makers and melancholy poets in business.  The blanket of clouds hanging above Nashville is endless.  How interesting that a cloud mass is often compared to a blanket, since certain types of clouds, like those lingering today, make me want to curl up in a fuzzy one and drift off. 

Instead of bunnies, dragons, and lawnmowers in the clouds, I was noticing coffee mugs slowly drifting overhead while running errands today.  After braving the crowded streets jammed with holiday shoppers, I decided that walking 5 minutes or so to the Whole Foods coffee counter near our apartment would calm my craving for a tasty, hot beverage.  And caffeine.

How lovely that 3 minutes into my walk, a fine misty rain began.  A cold, sticky misty rain.  Just a few weeks ago, on a 5-minute walk in Honolulu I would have likely encountered a little rain.Toto, we're not in Hawaii anymore.

The rain in Honolulu is mostly like a gathering of sweat, just enough to make you glow and highlight your features.  The rain in Honolulu is typically accompanied by (not followed by, mind you, but usually accompanied by) a rainbow. Or two.  Another amazing side effect of rain in Hawaii is waterfalls.  I love the wispy kind that resemble Rapunzel letting down her hair.

The rain in Nashville seeps into the skin and chills the bottom layers of your skin, so that the dampness takes a while to wear off.  But, to be fair, the rain in Nashville sits on the hilltops, barely letting the bare trees stay visible.  The rain in Nashville allows the hot hazelnut latte to warm my palms and my cheeks.

I have been missing the sights of Hawaii more than anything else since moving back to Nashville.  There are no doubts in my mind that moving back wasn't the absolute right choice for us.  However, I honestly miss parts of Hawaii like I miss a really, really good friend.  I find myself thinking about driving on the pali between cliffs as high as skyscrapers, so verdant and majestic.  I miss the shades of the ocean, blues and greens found no where else. I miss the constant warm breeze.  I miss the waves.

I believe it's true that when leaving Hawaii some of the spirit of Aloha followed me.  I hope I carry it with me for all the rest of my days.