The annual Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks usually lasts ~30 minutes.  It’s estimated to cost ~$6 million for the fireworks alone.  

In this year of 2020… of COVID, pandemic, death, quarantine, Great Depression-level unemployment, recession, ongoing brutality and murders by police, BLM, civil unrest, global protests, life on pause… the fireworks will go on.

For six days up to the Fourth, Macy’s is launching a series of 5-minute fireworks displays all around NYC.  But they won’t say when or where to avoid crowds gathering. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

They’ve done it for 43 years straight and this will be the 44th.  

It’s possible they already purchased the fireworks and couldn’t return them.

It’s possible this will make people, who still have disposable income to spend from the safety of their laptops, spend more money at Macy’s.

It’s possible that they’ve done it for 43 years and they decided they just have to do it for the 44th.

But I can’t help but wonder how those $6 million could’ve been used to help our crises of the moment and solve real problems.  Or how they could’ve changed the execution to say more than… 

“TOGETHER, WE LOOK UP.
To the hope of a brighter future for everyone, everywhere.
Together, we celebrate the strength of the American spirit in New York City and across the country.”

Inertia can carry us forward effortlessly and powerfully without us realizing it’s become our guide.

Just because we can keep going in the direction we’re headed doesn’t mean we should.

This July Fourth break likely won’t look the same for most of us.  But I hope it still includes time to rest, time to have fun, and time to take a break from the path we’re on and consider whether that path is still leading us to where we want to go.  

If not, what will you do differently?


Wishing you all the safety and sanity and joy!  🎆🎆

Pam