Living in coronavirusworld 102: Happy 4th of July 2020

7/4

the people's fireworks

 “I’m worried about New York,” she says. We have walked through Morningside then down into Central Park. Everywhere we look there are families and friends, grilling, picnicking, no masks, no social distancing, celebrating an everything’s normal 4th. We’ve done well to get to this point, but with the protests, partying young adults and now widespread picnics as usual, well, will we spike again? So  many people have decided to stop being careful.

For others, even a simple invitation for friends to have dinner together gets complicated.  Tables not large enough for that many, social distancing not possible… Negotiations necessary. We all have our evolving ideas of safe.

After a long walk, we wind up at an Italian restaurant. A deck has extended the sidewalk into the street. There’s white lattice work fences, blue canopies. It’s street life. It’s summer. Festive. Almost like a wedding reception. Except for the servers wearing masks. You can remove yours to eat and drink. But must remask to enter the restaurant and go to the restroom. You could almost think it was a normal summer dinner out. Almost.  But after nearly 4 months still blessing.

Brooklyn Cyclones fauxback Coney cap

This year’s annual Nathan’s Coney Island Hot Dog Eating contest takes place at an undisclosed location with contestants behind social distanced plexiglass dividers… They’ve done this every year since 1942…pandemic be damned. 

fireworks

above Fredrick Douglass

the time is right for fireworks in the street

NYPD arrives

All night long the people’s fireworks display goes on.  Adam Clayton. Fredrick Douglass, 115th, all taken over for rocket launchers and free fire zones. A text message about fireworks reads “…I’m feeling DiBlasio has lost control of the city…” And I feel it’s true.  The morning I saw many police cars arrive for an accident involving a cab. They did it well.  And a couple of days ago, an assist to an Hispanic man down in the Park. But on the whole, for the police it’s all but become emergency calls only. Di Blasio’s call for fireworks crack down? Nah. Open barbecue grills on sidewalks? Nah. Social distance  control?  Nah. Mayor who? They’ve basically declared “fuck it” and retreated to the precinct houses.

My door man is setting off fireworks in the middle of  115th. His children nearby with popsicles. Bomb pops. He offers me a shot of tequila. 

Happy 4th of July 2020.