On Labor Day weekend, there is a parade in a tiny nearby town and since my husband is the president of the club that puts on the festival, part of his responsibility was to ride in the parade. As "first lady" so to speak, I rode with him. It was my first time ever as a participant in a parade.
Wait, there was that homecoming parade as a freshman in high school and I vaguely remember the freshman class counselor, Sister Mary Somebody, trying to get us to use our imagination and creativity and some big boxes of laundry detergent and lots of crepe paper streamers to create a float that had something to do with a football team and winning. Having never seen a homecoming parade (or a float) before, the whole thing was pretty bizarre. I remember using a lot of tape and then being amazed at how long crepe paper can stretch when it started to rain all over it. OK, as I write this I remember standing on the curb as our "float" ( a tractor and wagon) with some squishy objects and runny streamers passed by and feeling pretty outclassed by the wonderful creations offered by the much more sophisticated upper classes. So, no, I wasn't in a parade before. Always on the sidelines.
When Ed told me about the parade I was intrigued. I had never aspired to being in a parade but here at the age of 65 plus, I was being given the opportunity to experience something quite outside my comfort zone. However, new experiences are always expanding for me so I looked forward to it. AND I didn't have to expend any energy involving crepe paper or nuns.
We arrived at the parade staging area and found our convertible. We were in convertible number 3 which turned out to be a lovely red Sebring with tan leather interior. Pretty nice! The woman driving us has done it every year for several years so she was a pro meaning that she put it in drive and never had to step on the brakes (a good thing for anyone sitting up on top of the back seat!). I had envisioned us sitting down in the convertible and waving occasionally at people I knew. When I thought back to watching parades, it really didn't seem to be a big deal. We would be just some old people in the front cars and people really don't pay much attention to them anyway.
Well, as it turned out, the District Governor of the club and his wife were riding in the car in front of us and they were sitting up on the back seat so we did too. It was a much better view from there but I also felt more exposed. But then, what is a parade about if not exposure?
I had decided that I was going to enjoy this experience because I may not be alive if I had to wait another 50 years just to get close to the production of a parade. So, I decided that since I had never been a princess or a queen in a parade before, this was going to be my opportunity to feel what it would be like to be singled out and passing before crowds of people and, of course, waving. Everyone asked me if I was going to do the "figure 8" wave or the "elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist, wrist" wave. I didn't know. I just knew I was going to let it happen as it would. Also, I figured it wouldn't hurt to channel all my past lives as royalty and great generals, etc.!
I did not wear the lovely tiara my aunt offered to me although I must admit it was tempting. I also passed on the chiffon and satin possibilities that floated erratically through my thoughts. I decided I would wear something colorful and comfortable from my closet and as it turned out, the blouse and necklace and earrings were all gifts from my darling daughter. She has SUCH good taste. So, I felt great.
The week before the parade went from really hot, humid weather to unseasonably cold with rain thrown in for added misery. Then the weekend turned sunny and warmer and the day of the parade was absolutely perfect.
So, we sat aboard our lovely red chariot as the parade moved off down the street for the two mile journey. There were people everywhere. They lined the streets with their folding camp chairs and children lined the street in front of them all holding plastic grocery bags open in front of them as though they could just catch candy that would rain down in such bounty that they wouldn't have to move to get their share.
The lawns of the houses along the way were filled with family and friends all gathered together to have lunch and watch the parade pass by. It looked like such fun to be enjoying the company of loved ones with a wonderful plate of food and have all the children engaged in watching the parade and picking up the Tootsie Rolls, Jaw Breakers and Skittles that landed at their feet.
The District Governor and his wife had obviously done this before because they had come prepared with big bags of candy. They were busy throwing it out, first one side and then the other. As a result, when we came along, the children would look at us like, "Where is the candy?" I was like, "Um, sorry, I ate it." But, they did not seem to hold it against us and smiled and waved anyway. So, I let go of that and just concentrated on all the people. I waved at people in the crowd who looked friendly and ignored the rest. The older people, young women and children were the most likely to wave so I concentrated on them. Some men waved too but not many. It was such fun, especially seeing the little kids with their big eyes and their ready reaction to my smiling and waving at them. They would smile and wave back and the parents loved it too.
I saw my dear, sweet Aunt Lucy in the crowd and she took some pictures of me too. She has always been my best supporter in this life and there she was again for me! My 92 year old father came with my cousin Bill but my father couldn't see me because of his eyesight loss, but there he was and I could see him! My sister Ruth and her husband Steve came too and his son Ethan (who took the great picture above) and his wife Paula. They were visiting from Houston and getting some sense of North Central Wisconsin culture. It was great to see them all.
As I waved, I saw the wave coming back to me from the crowd. It was my smile and my wave that generated the response from people I didn't even know. It was quite a feeling of power to be concentrating on eliciting a positive response from people who had come out to enjoy themselves and, what makes us feel better than seeing someone else having fun? I started out acting as though I was having fun and after a half a mile I found I was having a lot of fun! I was actually generating fun in my life and seeing that fun reflected back at me in the smiles and waves of the people we passed. I felt as though I were flowing through a sea of happiness and energy and joy.
Who knew all this was going on in a parade since I had never had the vantage point I enjoyed on this day? Now I know why Napoleon raised armies and fought wars: he just loved riding his horse at the head of the parade through the streets of Paris and reveling in all the cheers and waving and smiles and glory. See, it could easily go to one's head! The ego LOVES a parade!
And so, we can be in a parade any time we wish. As we travel through the lives of others, we can generate their reaction to us by our actions toward them. Not everyone will respond perhaps in the way we may wish, but we can certainly elicit a much more positive and satisfying response from most of the people we encounter.
And yes, I do know that Napoleon had many other reasons for his actions. However, in the end, he did have to serve that huge ego. If you travel to Paris, it is really worth the time to visit his tomb. What a monument to self.
I hope you enjoyed the journey with me. My wish for you today: may the sun shine on your parade today and, may what you put out come back to you a hundred fold.
