Aston's Parade
I saw the Ashton Eaton/Olympians parade today. It was very sweet, and very short--5 blocks was the route's length. It started with the police on motorcycles, and was followed by the color guard from one of the teen challenge groups; the double decker Bend bus, carrying his first coach (from La Pine); the LaPine boys track team (which won state at Hayward Field in Eugene--gotta mention that place!); the Nike van (Nike sponsored Ashton); the senior citizen band, which played the Olympic anthem, riding on a flat bed truck; former Olympic athletes, some wearing their medals, each one named at the announcer's stage; state winners of the latest Special Olympics; representatives from the Paralympics; his high school's marching band (which marched in full uniform, the drummers beating their measures) and dance team (for once Mountain View High School was center stage and solo); his coach for the Olympics; his grandparents, both sets, riding in beautiful silver roadsters; his mom and his sister or someone, in a convertible; his fiance (who is also a track star) in a yellow convertible; and finally him, walking at the end of the parade, waving. And behind him, hundreds of people, bringing up the end of the parade, joining it as he passed by: "U.S.A.! U.S.A!"
The crowd was easy four people deep along the sidewalk where I stood. It looked like it was that way on the other side of the street, and over to the other part of the parade route. I saw through a forest of people's heads, arms, smart phones, flags, and waving hands the back of his head as he went by. My half-hour lunch break was over, and I went back down the passage that goes between the Mockingbird art gallery and the fine jewelry store, past the people on the plaza, who were eating lunch from boxes, past the shower truck that was parked there on its route for the homeless to use, down the stairs to Drake Park, and back to the restrooms, my mop and my bucket, and the rest of my day.
The crowd was easy four people deep along the sidewalk where I stood. It looked like it was that way on the other side of the street, and over to the other part of the parade route. I saw through a forest of people's heads, arms, smart phones, flags, and waving hands the back of his head as he went by. My half-hour lunch break was over, and I went back down the passage that goes between the Mockingbird art gallery and the fine jewelry store, past the people on the plaza, who were eating lunch from boxes, past the shower truck that was parked there on its route for the homeless to use, down the stairs to Drake Park, and back to the restrooms, my mop and my bucket, and the rest of my day.