Up for Air

That title applies in more ways than one. Normally, I don't title a post until after I've written it, sometimes well after. But this time, I had the title first, perhaps because I just went swimming for the first time in a week.

Oh, the shoulder/arm situation is nowhere close to all better, but I wanted to try it and see how things were. And honestly, I am so much happier for having gone in the water at all, even though I could only do a few little floppy laps of crawl, and some boring-ass breaststroke, and a little sidestroke, and some kick-kick-kick with the board.

It was still nice. Like being in my element. Also frustrating, because I was in my element but not able to do my Thing. Much like getting on a bike and realizing you can't ride it. Hmmmn. That all sounds far too familiar. Let's get off the subject, shall we? Right off.

These pics are from several weeks ago, on a day when I got on the (stinkin') subway (because I can't bike yet) and wondered what the heck all these teenagers were doing carrying pillows with them. Giant mega citywide slumber party?

Almost.

It was a pillowfight. A pillowfight protest, for peace, in Union Square. And the damn thing was hilarious, and a little unnerving, and a magnet for photographers of all sorts.

Unfortunately I had only brought my pocketcam, but I did the best I could to capture the scene for your amusement. There were cops. There were many teenagers and some adults. There were pillows flying through the air, people climbing on lampposts and statues, and an inch-thick layer of feathers and assorted stuffing materials lining the pavement.

There were some signs painted on quilts and pillows, but for the most part, if you didn't already know what it was, you wouldn't know what you were looking at. A freak snowstorm? A mob?

It was weird, and not quite entirely nonviolent (some people got hurt), and also disarming (as in charming).

When I came out of the crowd to meet my friends (who hadn't wanted to venture so far into the fray), I was covered with feathers. I'd worn a black coat that day, and it still has white flotsam on it. Click for bigger, as always.