I love OB, and I especially love OB on the 4th of July.
But I have to confess something: I wasn’t there this year.
It was my birthday, and somehow along my usual birthday wanderings I ended up on a boat in the San Diego bay instead of getting pelted with marshmallows by the pier.
The shows were amazing. About 5 communities synchronized their displays, and I saw all of them sitting at the front (bow?) of the boat: Downtown, Coronado, Imperial Beach, Point Loma, and Midway.
The shows were incredible—in their pre-packaged-guaranteed-to-thrill kind of way.
But then I turned towards the back of the boat (starboard?) and saw something else:
I saw smiley faces, and stars, and peace signs, and so many cool things I didn’t see in the other 5 across the bay. Not synchronized. Not in tune with anyone else (except the Sophie station)—just amazing—as is.
I was so proud.
The OB show ended just as the others did. As I sat in the middle of the bay I visualized the first marshmallow getting lobbed across a fire pit, then another one. In my head I saw the madness erupt and promised myself I would be there next year.
I’m not sorry I wasn’t there this year because I got to see OB represent itself:
Our fireworks are a lot like us: not synchronized, not in tune with anyone else—just amazing—as is.
