Nostalgia at its Best

There's nothing like a parade.


I have memories of going to parades with my grandparents and seeing how much they loved them. When they were no longer able, I went with my mom. Now I take Rocky so that she can remember like I do.
My memories are those nostalgic type that taste like old-time hard candy. By the time I was a kid that hard candy was already being marketed as old-school, but whenever I had it I felt like I was experiencing something from the past. I like the idea that back then the candy was simple and rare enough to be a real treat.
When I go to a parade there is the same kind of down-home excitement that goes back even longer than the hard candies. The uniforms and floats may look different, and the stereo systems now may blast techno music, but the idea of a community gathering on the street to support and entertain each other remains.
I love watching the marching bands, mascots and rodeo queens. I smile and wave when the mayor goes by and when the boy scouts carry the flag. I cheer for the caliope and the pooper-scoopers, and I always get excited when I see someone I know.
To me, a parade is one of those rare treats that link us to generations of the past. It makes me feel that there is a continuity in life. That times change, but some traditions will remain.