Heat Wave in New York City!

Heat waves in New York City actually bring back some fond memories of my childhood. I was born in 1971 in good ol' Brooklyn USA, of which I'm very proud.

Brooklyn has so many faces, so much character, so much history that contributes to the definition of New York, and even this country. Every neighborhood from Brooklyn Heights to Coney Island is rich with diversity, culture and history.

If you ever want to see this town from a true down-home New Yorker's point of view, rent any Spike Lee movie. I particularly have a special place in my heart for Summer of Sam, simply because it took place in 1977. I was 6 and clearly remember The Blackout.

Although after reading that article, I forget how bad New York was back then. Rather, my memories are more about the blistering heat, running through the strong blast of the johnny pump (a.k.a. fire hydrant), and playing on the block. The sprinkler cap on the hydrant in the picture above didn't come until years later; instead, you just turn on the water FULL-FORCE and try to stand in front of it without getting thrown to the ground.

On the day of The Blackout, I have a few memories: my Aunt had broken her ankle and was in a cast. My uncle still lived at home with my grandparents and I, and his girlfriend Tina actually slept over, which I thought was so scandalous. Candles were lit the inside of the house, we walked with flashlights, and the radio was on while we sat outside on the 2nd floor porch waiting for the streetlights go on again.

On the 2nd day of The Blackout, I remember going somewhere by bus with my grandfather to pick up his paycheck. I had never gone with him before, and the air felt like hell but I was thrilled to go on this adventure with him. Funny enough, I don't remember much else of that trip except that a man who didn't speak English well stopped to ask for the time.

I distinctly remember the way Grampa wore his watch. It was a big silver watch, and he always kept the face on the inside of his wrist which made him hold his arm straight-up in front of him to look at the time. "Grampa was so nice to that stranger," I thought, "He's always so polite to everyone." I loved to go anywhere with him... to the ends of the earth by bus or subway if he wanted to.

Afterwards, I went to my cousin's house for a dip in their pool. They were the only ones in the neighborhood that I knew who had one. I was really disappointed when the electricity came back on. It wasn't long enough for me. For a brief time my family wasn't crowded around the TV talking about nothing and going about our usual business. Instead, we hung out under the stars and candlelight, listened to the radio and were just.... together. It was a joyous event.