Saturday, July 4, 2009

Brooklyn Is For Friends

It's hard to make friends in Manhattan; how do you just start talking to someone with no context of doing so? You might be eying each other and giving each other, "I wish I were talking to you" looks, but no -- talking to one another is far to scary. That first step is everything!

This is why Brooklyn exists.

Brooklyn exists to provide a space for cute hipster kids to get together and move around and dance to amazing music. Thanks to a man known as Brook Pridemore, I was invited to attend an all day festivity at the Brooklyn Tea House. This literally went on from 1:40 p.m. until now. I just got back an hour ago, hence the lateness of my post (sorry Tyra!).

Unlike the Knoxville scene, these cool kids are more adults. I had a harder time fitting in and finding a spot, but I can tell you this: it was very relieving to be able to talk to someone, and show emotion, -- and be myself! I met this one girl, Deahna (dee-nuh), who then introduced me to everyone else I would need to meet. Namely Dan, a queer radical guy. He and I chatted for an hour or so. Yay! Everything just seemed to fall together. Even though I wasn't and am not friends with of these characters, I can tell you that I felt very comfortable to be there. Betsy, a small feisty girl, plays the Uke and jumps around screaming. Viv in this awesome pirate girl in suspenders with an attitude, but she's really goofy and nice anyway. Dibs is just funny. I don't know what to say! There's so many cool people. Except this one guy with a mustache was literally wearing the same outfit as me; it was beyond embarrassing. I smiled at him.

Some music that you should check out? Oh, of course!

Brook Pridemore
Ching Chong Song
Urban Barnyard
Old Hat
Phoebe Kreutz
Preston Spurlock
Joe Crow Ryan

At the end of everything, a few of us rose to a rendition of the national anthem. It caught on, and by the middle people were just screaming, "AND THE ROCKETS' RED GLARE!" The fireworks were spectacular! It was just orb after orb of light and... fire? I thought the Empire State Building was a goner, but it seems to have managed.

Independence day? Fitting. Happy anniversary, parents!

CONRAD'S MUST-DO'S:
** DANCE YOUR HEART OUT TO THE MUSICAL SAW.
** WATCH FIREWORKS FROM A ROOF TOP.
** CHALLENGE YOUR FEARS AND STAY OUT LATE; PUBLIC TRANSIT VIOLENCE DOESN'T HAPPEN UNTIL MUCH LATER.

CONRAD'S MUST-NOT'S:
** ALLOW THE SUN TO EXIST SO EARLY.
** NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING A BED FOR THE NIGHT.
** NOT TAKING YOUR DAILY PILL (MAYBE.).

3 comments:

  1. I always knew you would go to New York City, Conrad, but it is still a leap to go from the farmhouse you grew up in to partying in the city.

    I guess you will always feel a part of both worlds. And they are so different.

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  3. Thank you sweetie---we read the Declaration, as usual. Mom says, Be careful on the subway after midnight!

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