Watching a Parade

There was a parade in downtown Denver on Saturday.  It was a celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.  People lined the streets, where they cheered and waved as the parade participants flowed through the crowd.

I watched for a while, wondering who these people were who marched so proudly through the onlookers.  Were they famous people?  Or just people who could pay the fee to participate and now played the part of someone important?  Did the crowds even realize or care who the parade participants were?  Perhaps I would know a little more if I were a citizen and not just visiting Denver, but I would guess even the citizens had little notion of who most of the people were.  They really didn’t care.  They were there for the party. 

It’s kind of odd that people like to go see parades.  They shout and cheer as though the accolades given to the participants some how add to their own importance.  Then they walk away and forget it all.

I was in a parade once.  It was a small little Christmas parade in Huntsville, Alabama.  Which proves that just about anybody could participate in a parade who really wants to.  Maybe not the Rose Bowl Parade or Macy’s Christmas Parade, but some parade.  The Denver St. Patrick’s day parade, or the Huntsville Christmas parade seem to be available to all.  I suspect there are plenty other small town parades that folks could join if they wanted to.

Even so, it appears some folks would rather just stand on the sidelines and party.  They smile and wave while the parade marches by them.