Americana

A week ago, if you had asked me when I planned to set up to watch the parade I would have told you I would be going to my "spot" at 1:00.  

As the days passed I found myself wanting a "good spot".  Could have had one on the Town Hall lawn I was told as part of an invite for past elected officials.  For a bunch of reasons I just felt drawn to be one of the crowd.  So yesterday morning I woke up a with a game plan.

Made some sandwiches, packed a cooler with plenty of water, grabbed the lawn chairs and my date for the event, and headed out early.  got there at 11:40 and so glad we did.  We were located under a very accommodating tree on the High School lawn.  We hunkered down and waited.

It was worth it.

The parade wasn't what I expected, and to be honest, I am glad it wasn't.  

I expected more glitz and glamour.  What I got was a good feeling and an enjoyable and memorable event.  

I was thinking Macy's and what I found was true Americana, at its best I think.

As the various groups passed by, politicians and all, it struck me that this was a very fitting display for our Town.  A good mix of small town with some glitz.  The tractors, the trucks, the bagpipes, the fife and drums, the marching bands, performance groups, the tractors, the antique cars, the historical military groups, the civic organizations, the fire apparatus; all of which combined to provide the right mix.  

Listening to the bits and pieces from the crowd, one heard the expected "too hot", "too long" and a few misc. other things; and yet those were very much in the minority.  The biggest tell about how good the parade was from the little children (of all ages), most who sat rapt with attention, waiting to see what came next.  Little fidgeting, necks craning to see what was next and pleasant expressions on faces.

The people in charge deserve a lot of credit.  

They brought us more than a parade.  They gave us a piece of what was, what we still are in many ways, and what we struggle at times to retain.

It is a rare occasion you will get me to voluntarily wait over an hour for anything.  It is even rarer for me to end up feeling it was worth the wait.

This one definitely was.