This evening I went to a concert by the New York Philharmonic on the Great Lawn in Central Park. It was free and it being summer and a cultural event, the New Yorkers (and many tourists) came in large picnicking packs. Liz texted me her location on the Great Lawn. The text said "Stage left behind the second row of speakers near the gumby." I was mystified. I arrived at the Lawn which was covered with people and blankets and creeped my way through the crowd as I mumbled "Gumby?!?!? Where on earth is Gumby?" Suddenly in the distance I saw an inflatable Gumby figurine swaying in the breeze. As I looked around I noticed all sorts of fantastical inflatable creatures along the temporary paths created by barriers in the park. I realized that the Gumby was part of a larger plan to create a bunch of recognizable landmarks - a whimsical practical solution to a common large scale event problem. Yes, someone could have printed out a bunch of letters and hung them all over the Lawn, but really isn't it more fun to say "Meet me by the purple unicorn," than "Meet me by the letter M"?
So my mood improved greatly after seeing all the creatures throughout the venue, I found Liz with minimal difficulty, ate my impromptu picnic, and enjoyed several classical music selections, pretty clouds, and fireworks with a few thousand neighbors.
The other three highlights of the evening:
1. Watching a group of women share their picnic with a clearly mystified young Eastern European male tourist.
2. Listening to people shush each other en masse, and listening to the guilty party quickly apologize.
3. Watching two escaped balloons sail up into the clouds and dissappear. Laying on my back in grass, listening to music, and staring at the sky were much appreciated small moments in my otherwise hectic day.
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