Community Gathering for The Williston Parade

I saw a wonderful side of country living in the Williston Parade. People lining the streets with their pickup trucks, small children, family pets and blue tooth cell phones and ribs sitting in anticipation for the parade to start. My sister took mom and I to the parade in her pickup truck running the air conditioning along the way. She knew where to park to get a good view. We parked towards the end of the route in the Hitchcock grocery store parking lot near the edge of the road. I looked across the road to see a big family where the mother was sitting in a lawn chair on the flat bed part of her pickup truck. She had a blue tooth cell phone attached to her ear. She had a plate of food that I am guessing maybe ribs which she was munching on. She was surrounded by her family of young children. This was a very Norm Rockwell scene of American life .

The parade was introduce by the Williston Police Department. One lonely gray car with flashing lights and no siren breezing by ahead of the real meat and potatoes group which was about to follow. The Community of surrounding Police from Ocala and Marion County Motorcycle patrol came with uniform of five motorcycle cops. The sirens blaring as loud as an electric guitar at a Bon Jovi rock concert. The flashing lights looked like Christmas had come early. Christmas in July with no snow. The motorcycle cops held to their straight line formation and just waved at people as they drove on passed. Their was another Williston cop car with the sirens and flashing lights which I got in my video. The police car driver hammed it up by looking like he was scratching his chin.

After the police, came the Army trucks, fire departments from the different communities, local Politicians with their beauty queens ride in compact cars. Ms. Williston slipped by with her long straight blond hair tossing candy out to the youngsters. The local High School marching band came by with Tee-shirts and casual pants playing their tubas, clarinets, flutes and other musical instruments. They were not wearing their band uniforms.

There was so much hard candy being tossed by passing cars. This seemed like a time honored tradition. I can not understand why the editor of The Williston Pioneer newspaper would want to break with this over one terrible accident. It is always tragic when someone gets killed, but there is a point where you can be overly cautious and not take any chances or risk. The parade could have eliminated the candy throwing, but I am glad they did not do this deed.

There are so many traditional traits passed on through parades, candy throwing, and just getting together as a group. The kids will keep these memories for the rest of their lives. I know this will be a pleasant thought like an Andy Griffith TV show moment which doesn't happen to often in my lifetime. When I go back to the beach, I will have my video which I will try to upload on You tube. If it is really good , I will share these memories with others.