It’s been one of the worst years on record in New York, but there are still bright moments in the Big Apple
In the nation most rocked by COVID-19 and devastating race riots, people are still finding ways to celebrate achievements they are determined to recognise.
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What really stood out as our little family joined a car parade to honour the 2020 graduates from our local high school was that New Yorkers seemed desperate to have something to cheer about.
In normal times, celebrating is the default position here in the US.
No other country comes close to going as big as Americans do, from the fanfare at their sport events to their over-the-top political rallies.
Locked down as we all have been, the opportunity to get out and mark a joyous moment as a community has become all too rare.
Australians tend to be self-conscious when it comes to getting slaps on the back. But here, celebrating success is basically a constitutional right.
So when hundreds of cars lined up for the parade at our high school Wednesday evening, months after school was closed by the awful virus, there was happiness and outright joy in the air.
Our son was reluctant to take part in the parade, being very Australian like that. But he eventually relented after we guilted him into indulging his parents.
The parade was in place of traditional graduation ceremonies, like in the movies where they all throw their hats in the air, or a spring-break trip like our schoolies weeks and a prom. Some smaller schools are lining their driveways with huge portraits of each graduate.
Noah last saw most of his senior class on their final day of school in early March, when the initial shuttering of New York State was predicted to last a fortnight, maybe a month. Now there is talk schools won’t return until after Christmas.
The parade set off with families chauffeuring their graduates, headlights flashing and blinking, horns beeping, kids yahooing, flags waving, cars painted with names and football numbers.
And bless their hearts, the people of our little village north of the Big Apple turned out to line the streets, cheering and waving and holding up signs to celebrate "Our 2020 Graduates".
Entire families turned out to give the kids their special moment, along with teachers, cops, fireys, shopkeepers, old folk, young kids.
For an hour, everyone forgot the virus and the tragedy of America’s rupturing race divide, and just said to our children: “Good on you. You made it”.
Police motorcycles and cars blocked off streets and gave us passage through the centre of the town. And in typical American fashion, even the drivers who were inconvenienced flashed their lights and honked their horns and waved.
So while it is sort of fashionable for outsiders to frown on America these days, I want to say thanks to our town for doing something genuinely moving and wonderful for our son and his mates.
You brought a smile to an entire class of kids with your simple warmth, including our Noah, who laughed and whooped throughout. And I know you all got a kick out of it too, having something to finally celebrate.
It's about time.
Originally published as It’s been one of the worst years on record in New York, but there are still bright moments in the Big Apple