Serendipity

Serendipity is defined as the finding of valuable or agreeable things not sought for.

I was sitting here online, ordering a French butter dish because it makes me crazy to have hard-as-a-rock-when-it's-refrigerated butter and even crazier to have damn-it's-gone-sour-on-me butter, when I heard a tremendous BOOM! outside. It was the unmistakable call of Look! Fireworks!

I am a fireworks junkie. Now the noise scares the hell out me - I don't do well with sudden or very loud noises - and the can-get-you-killed aspect of fireworks worries me some but I am still crazy about watching skyrockets and anything else that's sparkly and flashy. Home fireworks on the 4th of July or New Year's Eve are okay but those big community displays? Irresistible. Give me a set of earplugs and I could watch them for hours.

Since I live in the old town section of the city were most celebrations and events take place I get to see my fair share of fireworks. Lots can be rather wimpy displays but on occasion when there's some big event there's a fireworks display that's worthy of the big event. Regardless of the size of the display, I'm drawn to finding where they're coming from and either watching from my windows or balcony or running out to where the display is taking place if my view is otherwise obscured. When I heard the first boom I up out of my seat and off to the direction of the sound.

The kitchen window is where I had the best view of the festivities. I figured it would be one of those simple displays since I couldn't think of any big event going on today but I was absolutely wrong. It was fantastic! And it went on and on and on. Hands down the best fireworks display I've seen since moving to Germany and I've watched fireworks competitions held here. I had a terrific view of everything and was far enough away that the sound was just right. Loud enough to give me that little lump in my throat but far enough away that it didn't scare the crap out of me.

And still I don't know why there were fireworks tonight. I can't think of any big event that took place in Magdeburg on June 5th. I don't recall seeing any posters for some event tonight (but I see so many that I could be wrong). And judging by the direction from where they came and the distance I was from them, it seems to me they were coming from the area of the train station - not at all a typical place...usually fireworks shows are along the river, at one of the local parks or at the Medieval fortress near the university. The train station has had some big renovations going on but I wasn't aware that they were finished nor were the renovations some sort of event to be celebrated by a fireworks show.

Maybe someone with a lot of money and some pull with the mayor just wanted a fireworks display tonight. Maybe they like Thursdays. Or June. Or late spring nights.

Or maybe someone just wanted to surprise and impress me and make me wonderfully happy. I hope that was the reason because if it was, it worked.