The subject of this week’s joy was planned in advance…until it rained. There’s nothing in the world I like better than a good parade. And I was “all in” this year with the 4th of July parade in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I had the parade route printed out, the sunscreen packed, and my grandson’s stroller in the car. And then, Mother Nature had to, ahem, rain on my parade. Cancelled!
I grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin, which boldly claims to have “America's biggest and best Flag Day Parade since 1950!”, and indeed it does. I remember going to this parade as a child, and it lasted over 2 hours! I loved every minute of it. (By the way, they did NOT feel the need to throw candy at this parade, and I hope they still don’t. Candy is an unnecessary distraction from the real spectacle. Kids now expect to be fed sugar, instead of reveling in the joy of the parade itself. Kind of like kids expect a snack after every sports practice and game. But I digress…)
Yes, I was raised on a good parade, and I love the floats, the bands, the little girls in their dancing costumes, the batons, the unicycles. I even love the head-scratching spectacle of random folks holding some kind of sign between them, followed by what seems to be a random group of people with some kind of loose association. They make no sense to us, but they are there for a reason, and are willing to walk the whole route, which is all that matters.
There is a picture on my dad’s desk of him sitting on the back of a convertible in the parade one year. Someone got wind that he was a World War II vet, and asked him if he wouldn’t like to ride in the parade. Which of course he agreed to do, though as far as I know, he never saw any action while stationed in San Diego. But no matter! He got to be in the parade, lucky guy!
My enthusiasm for parades (especially if they have no foolish tossing of candy) knows no bounds. So, the rain on my parade was a definite bummer.
So, I harken back to Sioux Falls Pride Parade which I had attended a few weeks earlier. Besides the fact that it celebrates a cause near and dear to my heart, gay pride, it really was a great parade! Bands, floats, cars, random groups, marvelous costumes. And I got to go with my husband, daughter, son-in-law, and … grandson! Joy! I was disappointed that they handed him candy, but some things you just gotta let go of.
So, this week’s JOY: a parade. And, of course sharing the parade with my sweet Jameson.
