The baby in a stroller clutched the American flag in his tiny
hands and waved it.
The baby in a stroller clutched the American flag in his tiny hands and waved it.
The elderly woman in the wheelchair smiled and waved.
Moms and dads, brothers and sisters, groups of families and friends – they all gathered for Thursday’s Saddle Horse and Rodeo parade in historic downtown Hollister and its beautiful surrounding neighborhood.
“This is a Norman Rockwell painting,” said my boss, Bill Barry, as we rode in a 1930 Model A with his grandson, Bradley, and our Free Lance co-workers Jed Logan and Linda King.
What a treat to see so many faces of this terrific town, especially the kids of all colors, ages and sizes.
Is there anything in this world more precious than the wonder reflected in the eyes of a child at a parade?
Forgotten for the steamy evening were important issues we disagree on, the day-to-day struggles to pay bills and solve problems.
They all seemed to go up in barbecue smoke.
The parade displayed the past, present and even the future of Hollister, all with the respect each deserves.
Horses and riders. Businesses and bicycles. Firetrucks and floats. Even a real stagecoach.
But what I liked best were the faces in the crowd that lined Monterey and San Benito streets.
Proud homeowners sitting on their porches or front lawns. Mothers holding their babies. Teenagers flirting with each other. College kids partying. The elderly braving the heat. Cops directing traffic. Music and camcorders. Ice cream and lemonade. Brats and beer.
Everyone who made the parade and block party happen should be very proud. Please stand up and take a bow.
All of the organizers, the many volunteers, those hard-working folks behind the scenes are the ones that make these wonderful moments in our lives happen.
They somehow find the time and energy after doing their other jobs to plan and pull off these events.
The annual Saddle Horse and Rodeo parade was simply a lot of fun. And that’s something we all need in a world that’s too often filled with stress and sorrow.
Thank you for letting me and your newspaper, the Hollister Free Lance, be a small part of it.
A Norman Rockwell painting, indeed.
Mike Fitzgerald is Associate Publisher/Executive Editor of the Hollister Free Lance. He can be reached at 637-5566, ext. 337 or [email protected].
