This is the first year in several that I have gotten to watch Arlington's Fourth of July Parade. For the previous eight, I and Lavell and Hannah rode in the parade on Fire Engine #1 with my City Council colleagues. Hannah, thanks to Councilman Gene Patrick, got to ride again this year. That means she has participated in the parade on Fire Engine #1 every year of her young life. A record, I'm sure.
The day starts early. City Hall at about 7:00 AM for breakfast. That is longtime parade volunteer organizer Lynda Freeman chatting with former Mayor Elzie Odom. The decorations are plentiful, and the atmosphere is as patrotic as can be. The volunteers are pretty perky - this is a day they have worked hard for, really hard.
Riding on that fire engine was one of the highlights of my Council service. Waving to the great crowds (around 30,000) of well-wishing, parade loving patriots was uplifting. There are babies, children, teens, adults, and elderly of every color, race and ethnicity. Dogs, too. This is America, ain't it great! I would wave, and they would, too. In fact, over the course of the parade I would have to change waving arms several times, rotating from one tired arm to the other and back. It was pretty hot, too. I'm sure glad I had the priviledge.
Today's was the 2008 43rd Annual Parade. There were 125 entrants. About right compared to a few years ago when there were 180. It is hard to appreciate the countless hours that volunteers give to make this parade a reality every year, year after year. So, from this little corner comes a great big Thank You! for all your years of serving our community and the parade lover in all of us.
R. Steve McCollum, Arlington Texas Attractions.com
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