Today's MOZEN: A Love Letter

Words and Photo by F LoBuono

It was the quality of the light.

I had just walked into my bedroom, which is on the west side of my apartment, when I first noticed it. Thunderstorms were being predicted for the rest of the evening and into the early night. And, they were beginning to gather. The setting sun, hanging low in the west, was mustering one last hurrah before night would win the battle for the remainder of the day. It pierced the coming darkness and storm clouds to fill the sky with a diffused but still intense light. It was if the entire cosmos was permeated with a heavenly glow.

It would not last long.

I knew that I only had a few minutes before the moment would be gone forever. But, if I hustled, I thought that I might be able to capture its magic with my cell phone camera before it was consumed by the night. The new, and spectacular, Mario N. Cuomo Bridge that spans the Tappan Zee  and the Hudson River is only a few blocks from my apartment. Knowing that the bridge would have just been illuminated for the evening, I was hoping that it would provide a good contrast between its brilliant display of lights and the gathering storms and impending darkness.

Grabbing my cell phone and rain gear I made a mad dash out of my back door and down towards the small park on the Hudson at the end of my street. Unfortunately, some of the early evening splendor that had first caught my eye was lost. But, the light still had a strange and wondrous quality to it. In the distance, I could see the illuminated bridge was indeed cutting a swath through the gathering night. My sojourn would not be in vain.

After a few minutes, I was at the river's edge and marveled at the beauty that lay before me. The Tappan Zee is located at one of the widest spots on the Hudson, looking as much like a lake here as it does river. In the distance the radiant bridge was shinning like a new dime, its light cleaving the storm clouds and reflecting in the wide expanse of the calm Hudson.

I made a few photos that I was pleased with and stayed a few more minutes to reflect on the beauty of the place. Then, I started walking the long block back to my apartment. Just before I got there, I heard someone playing trumpet scales. Whomever was practicing did not appear to be a novice as the notes played were powerful and sure. Perhaps, they were warming up for a gig instead of merely learning. One way or the other, when combined with the beauty of of the early evening and its gathering storms, it provided another special moment that, if you take a few seconds to notice, makes living here truly a privilege - one that I never take for granted.

After tarrying for a few more seconds, it started to rain and I moved on, heading back to the place I've always belonged . . . 

I love it here.