I love a parade from brand new perspective
- col-dave-mast
- October 13, 2023
- 540
For countless years I have faithfully been at the annual Holmes County Antique Festival grand parade.
For as long as I can remember since I started writing in 1998, I don’t think I’ve missed more than three of these events, and I’m certain I had a good reason, like attending the birth of one of my children or some such thing.
However, until this year I have always been on the outside looking in on the parade, viewing it from behind a lens, taking photographs and enjoying watching tons of people I know parade past me as they waved and fired candy — some of them firing it too hard to think anything other than they were trying to drive a Bit O’ Honey through my chest.
This year was different.
As The Bargain Hunter celebrates its 50th anniversary, we wanted to make sure we all hopped on our vintage pickup truck and rode in the grand parade.
With my brother and company President Michael and his wife Bridey driving the beastly, cantankerous jalopy, our company founder and father Abe was joined in the back by our co-owner and my brother John and his wife Jalaine; my sister Lauren, who gratefully had come home to visit from her domicile in Idaho; and my wife Ann and me.
If nothing else, grand parade pomp and circumstance aside, this would have been worth it just to spend some neat time with the entire family, minus my mother, who co-founded the company in 1973 and opted not to join in on the fun — why she chose not to is something only she can answer, and I urge all of you to ask her why (Sorry Mom, had to do it).
We had a ball, something that seems to happen on a regular basis when we all get together.
As we rolled merrily along, I have to admit there was a really inspiring sense of gratitude mixed with some pride, not at what we as a family have done in building AloNovus, but rather in my community.
One of the things that truly stood out to me about the parade was the amazing gratitude shown by the event organizers.
It felt like every time I or one of my family turned around, someone from the parade committee was thanking us for participating and supporting the festival for all these years.
I think that speaks volumes as to the type of people who make up the fabric of Holmes County. There is such a neat sense of thankfulness to so many people here, and I get the sense that few of us take what we have here in this little slice of the world for granted.
Then there was the trek through Millersburg.
Once the parade started, it was fun to get a very new view of the grand parade.
I’ve always been so busy taking pictures of the people involved in the parade that I haven’t paid much attention to the sea of people lining Jackson Street.
I was shocked at how many people were shouting out to us — probably because they all wanted us to chuck a Tootsie Roll or two in their general vicinity.
But I rather believe it was just because of the relationships we have built and the many people we have grown to know and respect, whether it is through business, school, church or fantasy football.
I think all of our family members had a blast connecting with many people as we rolled along in our vintage pickup truck, simultaneously looking for friends and neighbors while at the same time gearing up to fire off another handful of candy into the crowd where the kids were perched, ready to pounce.
It got to the point where we were looking to “go deep” to any of the adults shouting out our name, hoping the Dots box we were tossing would carry the 46 feet to where they stood well behind the kids lurking streetside.
My wife has taught at Millersburg Elementary for 37 years, and trust me, there were many gleeful youngsters eager to have her fire off a handful of candy in their direction, but more importantly, they were excited just to connect with their current or former teacher.
Then there was my sister, who showed her natural gift of giving to those who serve quietly and do their duty. More than one police officer manning the parade route found some candy being tossed to their feet from Lauren. They all smiled and politely said thank you, then proceeded to hand the candy to a child near them.
Hey, police are people too, and who doesn’t like a piece of candy, even when on duty?
It was such a heartwarming, nostalgic parade trek, and I guess with a name like Antique Festival, it should take us all back to the days of our past, even as we celebrate our present and future together and unite with the community members with whom we’ve built so many lasting relationships.