Lifetecture

Chicago celebrates the 4th of July with a big fireworks display in Monroe Harbor, on the lakefront nearest the Loop, the night before Independence Day; always ahead of the crowd. I rode my bike downtown to witness the spectacle.

I took the back way, riding East on 18th St. past Soldier Field, along the right arm of the land mass encircling the city to the Adler Planetarium. I found myself next to where the local TV crews had set-up and every time they turned the lights on, the host was mobbed with screaming children – desperate to be on TV. We all waited for the show to begin. The air was unusually chill for Chicago at this time of year and the smells of barbecued meat and tacos made my stomach growl.

Finally, after a long wait the fireworks began, disturbing an immense cloud of bats which flew above us, pale in the glow as they sought refuge. It seemed like millions of people were there, unified by the pyrotechnics, oohing and aahing in unison as they bundled in blankets against the breeze. I have mixed feelings about the display, sometimes it feels too much like a celebration of war, perpetuating a tradition of violence. I felt removed culturally and stood alone in the crowd.

I rode away before the end, hoping to leave before the masses dispersed, stopping at a stand to grab a hot-dog to eat on the way. By the time I headed towards Roosevelt via Grant Park there were people swarming in front of my path; so ringing my bell I tried to plough through. Suddenly, in front of me was my friend Fran and friends! It felt so great to find faces I knew within that crowd and we walked together through the stopped traffic. The experience has made me think about our inherent interconnectivity and my place in the world.