It's Just Not The Same

 Today is the 4th of July, 2023. Every year I used to drive to Greeley to watch the parade but for the last few years I have skipped my traditional visit. Ever since my dear friend, who lived in Greeley, passed away, I do not go to Greeley anymore. As much as I love parades, it just isn't the same with her gone. 

Instead, I decided to watch the parade on Channel 9 beginning at nine in the morning. The announcers said, "It is the most popular parade in the region." The parade began with the Oklahoma long horned cattle calmly strolling through the street. They looked dangerous with their long horns, and I wondered if they were tranquilized because the cowboys or their horses in front of the herd did not seem worried at all!

From then on it was usual Grand Marshall in a wagon pulled by horses, the flags on parade (a train like snake of flags), a truck decorated and dedicated to men and women who have served our country, a mention of Joe Martinez, the first Hispanic American to receive the Medal of Honor; the highest military decoration. Many white pickups followed with Stampede Committee members, the Greeley-Evans marching band, and many vehicles decorated with red, white and blue balloons. A man riding a mechanical bull was fun to watch as we waited for him to be bucked off, though he never fell off! There were few decorated floats, lots of cars and trucks, the Colorado Masonic band camp that is formed by young men and women from the United States and meet three weeks before the parade and learn the routine in those three weeks, a large black piggy bank advertising the bank. I noticed that every business in and around Greeley seem to use the parade to advertise their wares.

A huge bus from Radio Tigre was followed by musicians in tiger striped jackets and they were playing music but those watching on television could not hear them. We did hear the two announcers who explained what they were seeing and hearing. When a large silver gasoline tanker rolled by I wondered why it was even in the parade. There were basketball, hockey, and baseball players along with country and western dancers, dance studio children, a juggler, and twelve shiny brand-new Corvettes. The Boy Scouts of America marched with a gigantic flag that took many hands to hold it up.

Eight sheriffs rode on beautiful horses, and I remember how there were always lots of horses in the parades of the past. It was odd to see the riders wearing helmets instead of cowboy hats. I enjoyed when the "real" cowboys rode past on the screen. The cutest rider was a little girl on a pony, and she was a Junior Queen. Seeng a cowboy on a bicycle was odd! The part I did not like were the politicians with their posters and banners. I do not think anything political should be in a parade. A creative concept was the Magical Moments float where the members can be hired to attend a party and they come dressed in Disney Characters to help make the party a success. The many tractors, and there were many, did nothing for me though I imagine that farmers liked seeing them in the parade. The announcers said that there was no need to own a tractor to belong to the tractor club! I enjoyed the bands and about four high schools were represented. When I attended high school in Greeley there were three high schools and now there are eleven!

It's just not the same watching on television because you miss feeling the sun on your head, the noise, hearing the marching bands, and the cheering and clapping. It seems that every year there seems to be less bands. Toward the end came the Aztec dancers followed by a Jewish group with a sign, Pray for Peace in Jerusalem. The trash trucks ended the almost two-hour parade.

"May we think of freedom, 

not as the right to do as we

please, but as the opportunity

to do what is right."

Peter Marshall