There I was…this past Sunday night, 10 PM; full moon, cool
air, music playing, open road, not another car, or house, or anything in sight.
I was in the middle of one of those moments that are rare, that comes along as a
surprise and if you’re not careful, it could disappear just as fast and
unexpected as it came.
Earlier in the day, I saw a link on a website about a “Summer’s
End” festival at one of my favorite State Parks, Letchworth; the
self-proclaimed “Grand Canyon of the East.” The link spoke of a couple of local
bands on an outdoor stage, food, and fireworks at 9PM. I’ve been to this park
probably ten or so times in my five years in Western New York, but always in the
early afternoon – never in the evening, never at night.
I had plans earlier in the day, that had a moving target of
an end time, so left my decision on whether to go up in the air – not unlike
the 25-or-so balloons that launched all within a half-hour period, the evening
before at the annual New York State Festival of Balloon – coincidentally the
next small town south of the Grand Canyon (of the East). As it turned out, my
plans ended at 5:30, and without really consciously deciding, I was on the
highway, headed south to Letchworth.
One hour and fifteen minutes later, I reached the south
entrance of the park – the farther entrance, the entrance I normally use. That
entrance is where the entrance to the gorge is situated, near what is known as
High Falls. My memory (on a day where consciousness had slipped into a nice
relaxed state), threw me a curve ball. There was hardly anyone at the main park
area in that part of the park. But at this point, it was 7PM, I was hungry, and
the concession stand was open, so I ordered a nicely typical burger and fries,
went outside to a lonely picnic table, and ate in solitude. The sun had already set behind the ridge
overlooking the gorge, but it had not officially set on Western New York, so I
was sitting in a dark shadow with a fading blue sky overhead. In peaceful
solitude. And it was here that I felt the beginning of something special, something rare.
I realized where the festival was; it was at the north end
of the park, not the south end. At the Highbanks Recreation Area. Not High
Falls. (Thanks, memory!) So, back in the car I went to head north, driving in that small window
of time after the sun is gone but before dark has fallen. Just me; cool air, music
playing, open road, not another car, or house, or anything in sight. I made it
to the parking lot of the festival at 8:30PM, and noticed that people were parking
in the grass, in a place where they could view the fireworks from their cars,
so I followed suit. And I sat, waiting, surrounded by everyone else anxiously
awaiting the display, but still feeling isolated. Comfortably isolated. And we
were treated to a another light show of sorts by nature…there in front of us,
appearing just over a line of pine trees, was the rise of a yellowish harvest
moon, full and bright and glowing. And as we all collectively (while still
isolated) watched the moon creep higher and higher in the sky, the first
firework was launched and exploded in a beautiful plume of blue light.
As fireworks shows go, this one was short, simple, and
sweet, and as luck would have it, I was parked towards the front of the lot; so
within five minutes, literally, I was back on the road, exiting the park, ready
to make my right turn to head back to home, to reality, to time marching
forward. Except that my relaxed consciousness took a moment off, and I ended up
turning left.
And there I was, for the next two hours, Sunday night, 10 PM;
driving - full moon, cool air, music playing, open road, not another car, or
house, or anything in sight. There was the moment – that rare moment, that comes
along as a surprise and if you’re not careful, it could disappear just as fast
and unexpected as it came. Isolated. Comfortably isolated. And yet connected. And
centered. And something struck me in that moment of realization; the
realization of how someone can be isolated and connected at the same time.
May you all find those moments from time to time; and when
you find those moments, cherish them.
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