I never knew the fun of a hometown parade until I moved up to this part of New England.Something about celebrating Patriot's Day right in the heart of where the "shot heard around the world" happened.
People from all over the world flock to see the Old North Bridge and love to don the tri-corner hats that the Minutemen of old wore as they fought the Redcoats for their independence from England.
Sometimes I think the importance of all of that history is lost on people and even I get caught up in enjoying just the pure beauty of watching all sorts of people --- "be the parad
e!"
e!" Kids on their bicycles come zooming by to let us know that the parade is coming...young teenage girls cluster together, sharing tunes, earbuds hanging between them and self-consciously giggling at some boys oogling them in the crowd...flags waving...young kids standing on the side of the road waiting eagerly for "The Parade!"....vendors, loving the warm sunny day that brought out a good crowd who are hopefully ready to buy, buy, buy...armed with inflatable Dora the Explorers, SpongeBobs, balloons, flags, plastic horns tooting, and pop-guns...lots of horns tooting and pop-guns popping...mothers pushing baby carriages in a flank of 5, chatting away, not realizing that they are now the parade for those of us on the sidewalk watching...old folks coming up to the edge of the curb with their chairs ready to get a front row seat. The sun is
sparkling and in the distance we hear the rat-a-tat-tat of the drums and a faint trill of the fife flutes a-piping.
sparkling and in the distance we hear the rat-a-tat-tat of the drums and a faint trill of the fife flutes a-piping.Here comes the parade!
Motorcycle-flashing police lead the way....
Local Minutemen with muskets in arm follow...
Boy scouts, Girls scouts....
US Navy Band members...
Special town dignitaries...
Militia troops from Wisconsin, New York and Virginia - no less?!
Bagpipers...
and, oh yes....the Redcoats...
"The British are Coming!"
The sun is shining...
Horns tooting and
pop guns popping...
Dora and SpongeBob float overhead...
the parade continues on...
and
Life is good....
: )
2 comments:
Yep... Patriots Day is right up there with Christmas around here! Our crew can't wait for that pareade every year!
Oh, Yes! I love a parade, too.
Growing up in Southie, I thought everyone was, a. Irish, and b. had a parade every March. Of course, growing up put all that into perspective.
The thing that I loved best was when the bass drums would go past and the boom, boom would reverberate in my chest. Come to think of it, maybe that is why I love drumming so much!
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