Summer, Summer, Summertime

On a hot summer day Uptown, it's a guarantee that the fire hydrant is open, gushing water into the street. Whether it's cars cooling off their engines or neighborhood kids playing in the water, the open hydrant is a hub for summertime activity. Although I grew up in Harlem, I was never a 'Hydrant Kid' for many reasons. However, I always admired, and to some degree was jealous of, the 'Hydrant Kids' who spent their summer days lawlessly out on the street. Now as an adult still living Uptown, whenever I see an open hydrant, I can't help but stop to put my hand through the stream to cool off.