Snow Globe - NYE in NYC
As our plane approaches the Big Apple through the night sky, I scan the cityscape full of lights in anticipation of magic that awaits. What a funny concept to assume a location hosts a greater state of mind than the streets I call home. And yet, the assumption holds truth. We have been spoon-fed the idea that New York is the “City of Dreams”, and needing to lean into hope, we believe it. With a majority agreeance in the belief system, we in turn give each other permission to dream and float and dance through the streets, spontaneously joining strangers in song. What a beautiful display of the power of the mind, creating an arena for wonder from thin air.
We wander the streets, following the brilliant glow of holiday cheer captured and displayed by design excellence. Swarms of people stop and stare in awe. As I observe the jaw-dropped onlookers, I cannot help but wonder which element draws them in most. Is it the colorful lights contrasting the cold, winter night? Is it the dramatic music accompaniment? Is the size of the display or complexity? Or is it simply the general shared excitement of the herd as a result of impressive marketing over the years? Do they travel far and wide to seek this out only to be underwhelmed or is it more than they could have imagined? I think about the power of the arts to gather people like this, with a magnetism so strong that it requires streets to be closed off to accommodate the crowds. Joy will not yield to fear in forms of moving vehicles when you are joined by hundreds or even thousands in the pursuit. Hope and joy are a potent combination, and when struck by wonder, resonate as a tidal wave. If a Christmas display can change the flow of Manhattan traffic, imagine the potential impact of more young artists armed to move masses. Imagine art being unleashed in the name of liberation, delivering hearts held hostage by broken systems. I would imagine this gravity of potential impact influences the decisions for the arts’ programs to be bled.
Times Square on New Year’s Eve, when broken down, consists of a few simple elements. Music, a pretty lit up ball, and colorful confetti, all of which are artistic ingredients held within a life size snow globe. Yet the world watches collectively on television and pilgrims travel great lengths to participate year after year without asking why it is such a desirable bucket list occasion. So, what is the draw? The draw is the feeling. It is electric with excitement of organized chaos. Anticipation of a synchronized ceremony in the closing of one chapter and the opening of the next. It is the metaphorical clean slate and opportunity to do and live better. It is the hope for prosperity and fulfillment. It is the unified permission to start over with a colorful line drawn in the sand. It is harmony blanketing the international masses as they share a joyous occasion. We have been taught that war is more natural than peace, but this experience shows me otherwise.
