A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...turning the page.

I remember it was a really, bitterly cold day – and in my years in the Ohio State Marching Band, I was never a fan of parades. They are long. A lot of standing around and waiting. Dragging a heavy drum around. And at OSU, we wear our snare drums on a sling (traditional style) that goes over your right shoulder, eventually cutting off the blood to your brain and right arm! And unlike the big Bowl Games where we flew, this was a 'Bus Trip', so everyone was a little road weary from the long drive.

But this was a really, really fun day.  Among all the other dignitaries, armed forces and federal stuff, each State got to send one major parade feature as a representative.  We were there for the state of Ohio. All the States were lined up on the Mall and it was like a giant party. All the ‘waiting around’ time turned into a sort of outdoor cultural exchange conference as we had some free time to mill around and meet people from all over the country. It was really a wildly diverse collection of participants and organizations.

I walked around with my friend Scott, who was actually a drummer with me going back to my same high school. Sadly, Scott tragically died several years later, and I wish I could see him on the occasions when I travel back to Ohio. Scott and I met Miss America: she asked us what our favorite bar was on High Street (not sure why she would be familiar with the bar strip at Ohio State). But, that's what it was like - you could meet anyone and they would smile and talk to you. 

I know I had some classmates that were sad to see Ronald Reagan go, and others who were happy he was gone. Some voted for Bush, some didn't. But, nobody really talked about that – it just like a huge 4th of July Party in DC in frigid weather that nobody seemed to notice.  Everyone was just revelling in the moment of unity and excitement. A pretty amazing memory looking back on it.