I'd been away for so long, and had forgotten how great it is to be from an area that is so heavily infused with the military. I grew up with friends who's parents were in the Navy, and had a rotation of new buddies every two years or so. New ones would come in, then they'd leave. It was the only heartache of my childhood. I probably screamed to the heavens that I hated living here, so close to the bases.
I was wrong, as most children are. We can hear taps played nightly, at sundown, from our back porch. Flags are proudly hung from doorsteps each holiday, and for what seemed like years after 2001. Most people you meet around here are retired Navy or Army, who had never lived here before, but visited one time and fell in love.
Now that I'm back, I find myself falling in love with this place all over again.
And its official, the Armed Forces Day Parade is my May boyfriend. I have a standing date with him from now on.
The parade was fantastic. Filled with school bands from all over the county, proud veterans, local businesses, and the men and women who continue to serve our country. They spruced up their cars, put on their finest, waved to the crowd (that makes or breaks a parade, you know), and put on a show.
We started the day with a pancake breakfast, hosted by the Lions Club. It's their 52nd time doing this, and baby, they've got it down. These two precious boys flipped pancakes to perfection. I kinda wanted to go back in time and make them my friends. But, I'm 27 and that's inappropriate.
No seriously, how cute are they? Such good boys. Didn't call me ma'am or anything. Thanks for the pancakes, Jacob and Bobby. Stay cool.
No one told me they have a fly over. You better believe next year I'll be ready.
This reminded me of reserving parking spaces with lawn chairs, like they do in Pittsburgh.
It was a great day. We walked, we talked, we got a decent farmer's tan, we blinged ourselves out in patriotic colors as you should for a parade. We saluted, we waved back, and in a way we became citizens of this area. We belong here, after all, we have our own parade now.
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