Hello December...

I guess I'm sentimental when it comes to this time of the year.

Maybe it's something deeply embedded in my soul, that's been there since I was a young child, growing up during a time when there was no such thing as political correctness. Those of us from that time period are lucky to have experienced that.

Yesterday (December 1st) I attended the local Hampton Christmas parade. And the emphasis should be on attending, because for many years I was a participant. I actually never saw the parade for many years due to the fact that I was knee deep in that event.

Heck one year (2006) I was the GRAND MARSHALL.

Can you believe that? Because I couldn't. I kept saying "But I'm just a Surfer who happens to be a Veteran and Commander of the Hampton's Veterans post. But they would hear nothing of it. So I reluctantly gave in, and rode atop my buddy's Jeep and saluted and waved my way through Route 1 in North Hampton and Hampton. It was fun. And I was humbled to be asked.



And while I am hardly worthy of such an honor, I tried to represent our Veterans and Surf Community. John Carden snapped this photo of me. There's even a photo of me talking on my cellphone to my late Mother. I was trying to explain to her, that I was actually calling from the parade and I was the Big Grand Foobah! She had no idea what I was talking about.

The sad news was, this was the last Parade for 4 years due to a terrible accident in another Holiday parade where a child was seriously hurt. They cancelled the Christmas Parade for the next 4 years.

But thank God cooler heads prevailed and they brought it back in 2010. And...they called it "The Christmas Parade". Oh the horror. Calling anything "Christmas" in this wacky PC world we live in had a handful of the local whiners and moaners complaining to any news source that would print their sour letters to the editor.

One such fool who lives here in Hampton can't leave well enough alone, complained and complained until he ran out of of complaints. He is part of the Liberal Political Correct Watch
Group who can't seem to stop bitching even after the election.

Can you whining, sniveling, anti everything losers just leave the rest of us alone?

Or not us, but the kids. Because, the holidays are about the kids. And the child that lives inside every one of us...(I can't believe I'm writing this cornball stuff.) See? I am an old softy.

Look I don't have a problem with any other religion or practice. I do NOT. I don't care what you believe in or worship. I really don't. In fact if anything, I think it's great that you believe in something. Because when you lose the passion to stop believing, you have lost your very soul.

But enough is enough. Calling a local parade "A Christmas Parade" is not a bad thing. It's OK...it's alright. Your politically correct friends will forgive you. We all forgive you.

So where was I? Oh yea, the 2012 Hampton Christmas Parade.
I was by myself. My date passed me up (my youngest daughter thought it too cold to walk from our house to the parade) Standing in the cold snowy weather and taking photos of the participants. Lot's of friendly faces and big smiles. Lots of happy children. Very few visible Grinch's.

I'm sure they stayed home writing new letters to the editor, because they don't really have a life.

And while I am not living a "Wonderful Life", I did feel good witnessing the magic of a simple holiday parade that used the word "Christmas." Which reminds me. I had a very close business associate that I'd known for years. He is Jewish. Great guy, and we got along so well together. But I never forgot what he said to me one year at his annual Chanukah Party we all attended.

"Do you know what I say when someone says Merry Christmas to me?" I shook my head. "I say... Merry Christmas to you too!"

Simple but meaningful gesture.