Inside The Panny Pt. 3
“All I see is fireworks, Every night is fireworks, Taking off like fireworks”
Instead of weekly Friday Night Lights with two teams: vying for a win, marching band, and cheerleaders calling out participation from spectators on the sidelines we got fireworks from 9pm-5am every day for four months, inside the panny. Eastern. Standard. Time.
Anyone and everyone who lives in New York City was accustomed to the occasional weekend or weekday firework show. Not a soul questioned the legality of them or where they came from. It came with the territory. However, everyday was another ballgame and personally gave me the party I did not ask for. On the upside, DAY, was gone and time was measurable again. Something I had hoped and longed for was finally here, but my PTSD had just begun without the military’s help. The tradeoff was not adequate.
A hunt to find out how they started, how they got here, and more importantly who funded them was on. The plethora of ammunition was immeasurable and fireworks are not inexpensive. I scoured the internet for a glimmer of light into the situation. All I found were conspiracy theories and speculation with no luck of a reasonable or official answer. I succeeded with the acceptance someone or something decided this was to happen. It was written in the sky — loudly. My nerves were still on my last nerve, but I was no longer dropping to the floor for fear of death as I had grown accustomed to the shots firing. Four months in my PTSD was shifted to severe anxiety with manic laughs. I took that as a win — the bar was set low. Was I in hell? Was it an end of the world celebration? Was it finally time for the aliens to rescue me? I crossed my fingers for the last option. None of these came true(if you’re reading my message Zoltar I’m ready), but I was now a soldier prepared for battle. What did happen next I did not expect. Everyone else said, “Fuck it…may as well party!”
The fall of Rome in real time(this time with WI-Fi).
Full streets and legal open containers revived the heartbeat. It was pumping overflow, and if it was the end we were going out celebrating. New York City was revived. With mixed emotions bottled up, no touching, and only interaction of life through the screen I myself had forgotten all the world’s a stage and we are just merely players. Had the collective come to same conclusion? Yes, they had. I did not want to miss this new renaissance, so I joined the party. I was no longer, inside the panny.
Gang squirrel fights, racism, and a heaping sprinkle of anxiety did a number on me. However, with everything taken into account I am thankful I am safe, healthy, and alive. There was still work to do because every day is part of the charade, but on thing I do know…
When I see that squirrel; It’s on site.
