HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
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| 1958 California Parade |
Did you make any resolutions for the coming year? I've thought long and hard as I started to write this blog for today. Making resolutions that are so easy to break, I didn't because I set goals for myself all the time, not just one day a year. What thinking about the occasion did though was have me contemplating about childhood memories around New Year's Day.
I grew up in Southern California, moved away when I turned nine to Boston, Massachusetts. Not only was there a culture shock, but the weather change, the ocean, and as a child the holidays were different. In particular, parades. My family consisted of four kids, two parents and a dog and we loved to go to parades. Get up early and stake out our place along the street walk, bring food and drinks and have a grand day.
I grew up in Southern California, moved away when I turned nine to Boston, Massachusetts. Not only was there a culture shock, but the weather change, the ocean, and as a child the holidays were different. In particular, parades. My family consisted of four kids, two parents and a dog and we loved to go to parades. Get up early and stake out our place along the street walk, bring food and drinks and have a grand day.
Who doesn’t love a parade? There are different types all around the country. In rural areas, in big cities, and for every kind of occasion, people come up with some excuse to have one. They can be as simple as wagons pulled by animals to the large motorized type in the well-known parades televised on national television.
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| 2011 Rose Parade |
Every Thanksgiving, I still love to watch the Macy’s Parade and on New Year's the Rose Parade, which today is televised as a reminder to any one reading this. Every time I watch, I’m thrown back to the times living in California. My first one I attended with my parents when I was two. I don’t remember that much, but definitely by the time I turned four, we attended several a year and became a family tradition. I loved the western riders, the palominos adorned in all their silver studded saddles and bridles, with the young girls wearing the fancy and frilly dresses. To this day, I love horses.
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| Mardi Gras 1984 |
The last parade I went to was Mardi Gras, 1984. Now, there’s a parade, or two, or three. There are so many, I don’t know the exact count. But, in a week’s time, there are a lot. At the time, we took our daughter, who was four at the time, and another generation of parade lovers’ was born. This year, I plan to indoctrinate my grand-daughter to watching on television. Don’t know if the experience will be life-altering, but I’ll make it as enjoyable as I can.
So, in celebration of starting my 2012 off right and bringing back those fond childhood memories of parades and family, I’m keeping this blog short, closing my laptop, snuggling up with a hot cocoa and continue the New Year's celebration with my family—doing fun things. That's my resolution for the day. I'll get back to doing what I normally do in the days to come.
I hope you and yours enjoy your day as well, before the rest of the year gets in the way again and we’re back to work, writing and our daily grind.
I hope you and yours enjoy your day as well, before the rest of the year gets in the way again and we’re back to work, writing and our daily grind.
Cynthia Arsuaga
