My big Memorial Day tradition is running in a 10k and watching the parade afterward. I've been doing this particular 10k, in my neighborhood, since 1983, a long time indeed. Back when I didn't do any races, this was the one I did. I would train for it in the spring, do it, and then stop running for the rest of the year until spring rolled around again.
As I run through my neighborhood, there are flags on display all over, and many people are out just watching the race, standing on their front lawns, cheering us on, offering water, and sometimes offering to hose us down if we're just too darn hot. Music blares from many of the houses, idiosyncratic choices, but we always seem to get the Rocky theme and the Chariots of Fire theme.
The parade is a small thing, 2 marching bands, some bagpipers, local organizations, lots of boy scouts and girl scouts, local churches, etc. Also a high school ROTC unit and some war protesters, just to give full representation to political tensions! The war protesters say they want to support the troops by bringing them home, but when you talk to people who are over there, this doesn't seem to be the sort of support they want.
For all who have ever fought in freedom's defense,
I offer thanks. Your accomplishment is immense.
No comments:
Post a Comment