The Parade

Make a list of events from your childhood and write about one of them capturing the experience.  This is a little rough...but what I have done so far today.

The sun peaked through the curtains gently waking me.  Stretching, I remembered today I was going to ride in the back of a firetruck in the Fourth of July Parade.  This was beyond excitement for a seven year old girl.

“Remember,”  my mom said when she dropped me off, “meet us behind the mall by the free pop stand.”

The parade was awesome.  I waved to everyone.  I even found my family in the crowd and blew a kiss to my little sister.  We had been winners in a poster contest and our prize was the opportunity to ride in the firetruck along with cash.  I wasn’t the grand prize winner, but I won first place and $5!  I think the grand prize was to have your poster on a billboard.

When the parade ended there was a massive crowd, I waded through it to to find the free pop stand.  I went to the back of the mall, but didn’t see one.  So I went to the front of the mall and still no free pop stand.  Anxiety replaced my excitement and I started thinking they would never find me.  I decided to go back to where they sat during the parade.

I scanned the faces coming towards me, hoping to catch a glimpse of a familiar face.  I didn’t see them.  I went back one more time to the parking lot area and looked around.  I still didn’t see a free pop stand and I didn’t see my family. 

I could walk home I thought.  I was sure of where I lived...so I started walking.  I hadn’t traveled too far when I was startled by a snake in the tall grass just off the sidewalk.  I screamed and started running.  In my mind this snake was huge and had to be chasing me.  I started crying.  A young girl wizzed past me on her bicycle.  I watched her pause turn to face me.

“Are you ok?” She asked “I thought you were laughing, but you’re crying aren’t you?”

“Uh huh.” I continued to sniff. “I think I’m lost.”

“I can bring you to my neighbors house, she will know what to do.”

When we arrived at her neighbors house as soon as she opened the door she exclaimed. “Oh!  You are the girl everyone’s talking about on the news.”

They called the police and a large police wagon came by to pick me up.  I, of course, had to sit in the back...behind the metal barrier.  I shrank down as we past by people.  I didn’t want them to think I was a criminal. I was just lost!  I wanted to shout out.

The police officers brought me back to the parking and there was my mom waiting for me.  Everyone was so nice, they showered me with gifts: balloons, hats, candy, buttons.  I felt like I was a celebrity for a moment.  Not quite how I would like my fifteen minutes of fame...