Here is an ever-so majestic example of the beasts on display at today's Christmas parade in Lawrence. I like this parade because it forgoes all the overhyped, plasticky, gimmicky, wasteful nonsense of this "religious" holiday (who are we kidding?) and instead what you have is a parade that is very quiet and almost... boring. About 80 sleigh teams from around the central Midwest come to town, put bells on their horses, and trot four blocks downtown. This year the attraction was the "Express Personnel" Clydesdales, who were so wussy (or high profile? are there clydesdale assassins?) they actually drove the team down the street in a semi truck.
Coming back to the George Costanza post, it would be nice to regress to a time when I could enjoy the holidays without feeling guilty about how much I have compared to other people, how much energy is consumed by little old me. What is to be done? Maybe this is just a "new adult" feeling that will subside with time, cynical as that sounds. I can't change the world by fretting and frowning, but I can do a little here and there and otherwise try to make those around me feel happy. Just like these wee donkeys pulling that cart, real progress is slow going.
So instead of being a grinch, I think I'll count a finch. (Audubon Christmas Bird Count)
5 comments:
hey prairy, cute pic. in contrast to your parade we have a Las Vegas style "truckers' parade" next weekend- it is so loud, stinky and obnoxious but people love it, they come out in droves, so it becomes tradition - I am trying to be conscious about my surplus this xmas, but the river of hype has swept me up, thanks though for the mental life preserver, I think keeping an eye on those birds is great- know them, and you know enough, forget them and our race is going to need a second chance
I suppose it would be too much to ask for Santa to be bringing up the rear in something pulled by reindeer. I'm not real big on parades but some memories are conjured, among them, the first time I brought Cathy home to meet the folks. We went to the Nowata Christmas parade with Mother and some of the bros & sis's. When Santa rolled by on the firetruck and the candy was being flung Cathy jumped off the curb with the kids and grabbed what she could.
Later, after Cathy was gone, my mom gave me a big hug and said "I like her". Positive reinforcement to the max!
Santa did bring up the rear, though not with reindeer unfortunately (or, maybe fortunately for the deer, who would probably go berserk).
That's a fun image to think of young Aunt Cathy jumping out to grab candy admist all these strangers. I have a few fuzzy memories of Granny but I wish I'd known her.
and don't get me wrong- i love a good parade, but these big rigs idling in town with diesel fumes streaming out the exhaust pipe are completely ridiculous- they are so lit up that if space aliens were within a few light years, they could readily spot them-this parade sadly is more a testament to the manipulation of the First Amendment than anything else-everybody gets their say- its seems that some people's say is more destructive than others to the common good-slippery slope I know, but I saw it before also in Cincinnati when the KKK demanded that their Christmas Cross be displayed in the middle of downtown- they won the appeal, but years later the city pulled their permit for some technical reason- but I guess like you mention progress takes time, and if I am the only bicyclist at the parade, at least i won't have to worry about finding a parking place
I love the idea of an equine/reindeer/water-buffalo or other suitable quadruped only parade. We (4-H) took cloverbuds to a clydesdale farm - those clyd's would have been offended to not be pulling something. Glad Jackie approved, she and i once went to the Walmart Grand opening in Nowata and participated in the "plate drop" - my first, so i was standing in a sea of scrambling women when the last 3 plates floated down and i got one out of the air. 1st place and the fan still whirls at the WOR
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