Christmas Parade

Category: Chamber Corner Chamber Corner
Published: 12 December 2014 12 December 2014

By Sccott Terry

Kudos to the folks at the Silver City MainStreet organization for producing a nice lighted Christmas Parade. I have heard people say that in the past, it has always been really cold. Even last year, we had snow in the area the week of Thanksgiving. But this year, the weather was pretty nice for the lighted parade.

Thinking back as a kid growing up in Louisiana, the Christmas Parade was a huge deal. My family owned a retail store, and each year we decorated a float for the Christmas parade as part of our marketing strategy, at least that's what my Dad called it. My two brothers and I believed it was a form of punishment. We would spend too many nights stuffing brightly colored tissue sheets into the chicken wire. If you have never done this, I promise, after about the first thousand tissue sheets, you will wish someone had cancelled Christmas.
One year, a company came through town that rented Christmas Parade Floats. Everyone pleaded with my father to rent the float instead of building one. I believe my grandmother even made my Dad's favorite meal, fried venison and gravy with homemade dumplings, as part of a bribe to give us a break that Christmas. The meal must have been good, because he rented a float. I enjoyed the parade much more that year.

Christmas Parades can have different meanings for the people that participate in the parade, and for those bundled-up individuals standing along the parade route. Some people build Christmas floats to share their beliefs in the birth of Christ. Other folks may build Christmas floats that represent their ideas about the awesome feelings related to sharing and giving during the holiday season. The folks waiting along the streets anticipate a parade filled with Christmas Lights, Christmas music, maybe candy and trinkets, and of course, Jolly Old Saint Nick. You can see everything from Baby Jesus in a manger to Rudolph leading the rest of the reindeer. This is supposed to be a memorable event. It should be an event enjoyed by all the community. Close your eyes and you can see the twinkling lights. If you listen closely, even now you can hear the soothing sounds of Christmas music... maybe you can hear "Silent Night" or Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas".

Yep, Christmas Parades are supposed to be filled with the sounds and sites of the holiday season.

However, this year's Silver City Christmas Parade had an added attraction. There was a group that seemed as though they don't understand the meaning of what is proper and what is not proper at this type of community event. A Christmas Parade is not the proper venue to bully the other parade participants that you do not agree with. I don't have to mention the name of the religious organization that bullied the group beside them in the parade. Most people know exactly what I am writing about and who these people are. It's sad. Yes, it is so sad that Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and a small group of religious folks make the decision to ridicule and harass folks that live a different life-style.

Growing up in the South, I witnessed some people going through the main doors at the local theater, while other people had to use a side door. I saw businesses with signs in their windows stating which people could shop or eat, and which people could not. I saw water fountains that designated who could sip the cool water, and who needed to go elsewhere. I thought it was terrible then, and I believe it is terrible now.

I am a conservative, fairly religious person (my pastor may question that statement) that understands there are differences in our community. Whether I agree or disagree with the way other people live their lives, I know there is a proper time and proper place to make my feelings known... if I decide to do so. And I truly believe that an honest, intelligent person understands the proper time and the proper place for this form of "free speech" is not during a Christmas Parade.

Grant County is such a wonderful county to live in. We have so many great events to attend. There are so many unique places to visit. And we are a community that doesn't have a problem stating "I hope you have a Merry Christmas."

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