Pittsburgh View
Duquesne Incline
The Fourth - Pittsburgh styleWe spent our last Philadelphia fourth of July away from Philly altogether - skipped the nation's first capital for one of the rust belt cities that's seeing a comeback on the horizon -- Pittsburgh. I love hills, so it was in some ways a place for me, one steep reach after another with the city center nestled in between. When I was in graduate school and applying for jobs, I eyed one with good benefits in Pittsburgh. I decided not to apply, for various reasons (one of them - a trusted elder asserted that Pittsburgh was "no great shakes" - I remember it very clearly -- ), and have had a vague pining regret of it ever since. I really should just apply to any job I consider. I always end up regretting the ones that I don't.
We battled it out for a great view of the fireworks on a stunning hill that overlooked the city, and let me just say, people are not kind when the stakes are as high as a good view of fourth of July fireworks. There was the overloading of teenagers on a public statue of - ironically - George Washington (one person literally sat on poor George's head), there was the small posse who stood in front of a poor wheelchair-bound girl, and there were nasty comments galore (Where do you think you're putting that chair? -- How am I supposed to see now? -- Am I bothering you? Damned right I'm not bothering you!) It was a sad display for a national holiday, and it made me believe a little less in the power of collective intelligence and respect. Or perhaps I'm just not a crowd person. But the fireworks were lovely. And I'll be damned if there wasn't a single head between me and the view.
