Seeing Statue Of Liberty For The First Time

I recently made a trip to New York City to see a staged reading of my one act play Yellow Roses by the Equity Library Theater last August 17th. Before the trip I planned a visit to the Brooklyn Bridge, I wanted to walk across it during my previous trips but didn’t get the chance. This time I had a plan.

I flew overnight out of SFO Thursday evening and landed at JFK on Friday morning August 16th. After riding the E train into Manhattan I dropped my bag off at the Airbnb where I was staying on 8th Ave between 28th and 29th Streets then took the C train to High Street Station in Brooklyn. Before the trip I looked on an MTA subway map for the best route to get to the bridge, I even watched a YouTube video on how to get from High Street Station to the Brooklyn Bridge walkway so I wouldn’t get lost. Once I got to the station it appeared there had been new construction so I left through a different exit. I found a kiosk with a map so I was still able to find the staircase from Cadman Plaza East that leads to the walkway to the Brooklyn Bridge, and I was on my way.

The day was sunny and clear as I advanced toward the bridge and took in the sights. Seeing the hard steel, long rows of rivets, thickly bundled cables, and the hand made durability of 19th century construction was like going back in time. (The late model vehicles speeding by in either direction and pedestrians in modern dress immediately brought me back to the present)

To my right I saw the Manhattan Bridge, more modern but just as impressive. One thing I always notice on my trips to NYC is how close everything is to each other; people, buildings, subway stations, and bridges. When you’re on one of the Bay Area bridges you can’t see any of the other bridges (most of them aren’t worth looking at anyway).

As I walked along further I saw something unexpected to my left.

I was expecting to see the Manhattan Bridge because I saw it on maps close to the Brooklyn Bridge, but I wasn’t expecting to see the Statue of Liberty in all its aqua green glory. I’ve seen the iconic statue many times before in movies, TV, pictures, illustrations, and all kinds of artistic interpretations, but never before with my own eyes. For me, seeing something in person is always different and more impressive than seeing it as an image no matter how realistic it looks. I saw it from a distance of about 2.5 miles/4km away and I had to zoom-in to get a decent shot, but that didn’t diminish its significance. Of all our American landmarks, the Statue of Liberty is the one that best symbolizes promise, freedom, and opportunity. It is a representation of our highest aspirations and a visual shorthand for hope of a better future. (Admittedly the promise doesn’t pan out for everyone, but still a happy thought.)

Eventually I made my way to the other side of the bridge and back onto land, but I was richer for the experience, not just for what I expected to see, but also for the unexpected.

©2024 Robert Kirkendall