Parades? No mi gusta.

#throwbackthursday sidenote: Pikachu was one of the first movie dates I went on with my now husband. It was a weird obsession of his that I once found strange, but now find endearing. 

Simpler times.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2013 via Kpopstarz

I watched a bit of the Macy's TD Parade and felt conflicted. Edited for TV it looked great. But as a spectator on the streets, it reminded me that I'm not a big fan of parades. What was once, I think, an event meant to entertain with magic and colour and music and folly, is now a peacockery amongst advertisers.

#tt 1. I remember being in my first parade with the dance school I was attending at that time. It was a small town parade, therefore, the 4H was in full force and tractors were whistled at. We sat on straw bales, and wore our pink tutus with pride. It was a time when we could still throw candy on the street and costumes were homemade. Floats were worked on by people and not ordered online, pre-made. And if there was a dealership car it was "also" pulling someone else's float.

As the years went on, several things happened to parades. You weren't allowed to throw out candy. It was acceptable to have 15 minutes lapse between floats. And you didn't have to make room for a neighbour or stranger to sit beside you.

"Parades are like Sad Clowns. They just don't make sense."

 #tt 2. In '99, however, I was in Holland and got to go to a parade and I fell in love. What made it so different? How about the fact that every float was an original piece of hand crafted beauty. Not to mention, each float was made almost entirely of flowers.

One of the flowered floats in Holland

#tt 3. With my faith somewhat restored, I was a part of the Stampede parade and a Stampeder Outrider. I don't usually wear cowboy boots, and by the end of that parade I swore to never wear them again. From the inside looking out, I knew I'd probably never attend one again as I watched some 300k people cram onto the streets of Cowtown. Way more fun to be in a parade, than watch.

#tt 4. Oh but wait. I had a baby. And everything old and non-sensicle is great again. Within 11 minutes of arriving with my six month year old #ministarlite in a stroller, my parade hate returned with a vengeance. Especially considering she decided to fall asleep for the whole thing and was wide eyed and hungry when it was over. Post parade public getaways is not the greatest situation for nursing mamas.

#tt 5. Try again? Bad idea. The wait for a Caribbean parade to start is much longer than it lasts. But the #manstar be Trini, so we had to try. At least once. Okay twice. But never again. Mind you, I would like to go to Carnival "in Trinidad" someday.

#tt 6. The National Capital City Santa Clause Parade. Once in a lifetime experience, right? Not with a five year old, in -12C, and a Santa that arrives way passed a child's bedtime after countless cars of nothing drive by. Not even a candy cane to be had!

I'm way passed the shame on me at this point with parade attendance. But every now and then, I just want to believe that there still exists somewhere, locally, or on a national level, a parade with the sole purpose of entertaining and community connection.

Red Carpet Dreaming,
Light and Love,
Amanda