I’ve been going to one close by for a couple of decades most every year. Just a few thousand people in this small, Georgia railroad town but they do a great job and it’s always interesting.
I go for the bbq but always watch the all-comers-welcome parade that precedes it. The bbq is pictured. If Jimmy Meek gets a photo here of the flag and fireworks then it is necessary for someone else to add the other essential to our July 4th celebrations, pork bbq. It is excellent. My only complaint is that for the last decade or so I haven’t been able get there early enough to get some pork skins. Seems they pre-sell all of those. I have a better chance of getting a Master’s ticket.
The Fust Babiss Church does the bbq. Judging from the size of the pit, they must cook a couple of dozen hog halves which makes a lot of bbq. It is sold by the plate at $9 each. I’m good at math but don’t know how many plates you can get from a dozen hogs. I’ll guess that their total procedes are $8-10 thousand. I did ask one of the church folks that I know and all he said was that the money was divided three ways in the church and that “…some folks complain about how they do it.” Well, it is a Southern Baptist church. And, the photo above is the actual item at about 8:30 this morning. It would be a travesty to use a stock photo for bbq.
The parade has a local emcee, a homespun, corn pone humor specialist who has a bushelful of lame jokes. He’s great. Every group, school, church, politician, business, police or sheriff department, fire department gets a personalized plug when they pass the reviewing stand.
There were so many sheriff and police vehicles and fire trucks I’m surprised any were left to watch the roads and for fires. Sheriffs around here have to be re-elected every four years. They don’t miss a parade with their shiniest, most expensive, SUV smack in the middle of it.
Sure, there are beauty queens. The lovely reigning city beauty and all the “Little Miss Sparkle Glitter” and the like. It’s big for them, probably moreso for the moms and dads. God bless you little girl.
The Shriners are always on their scooters and spiffy midget vehicles. Some of them do tricks. But their numbers are dwindling and the few that came today were quite long-in-the-tooth. Need some younger blood.
Don’t get upset (no one at the parade did) but here comes the old Confederate battle flag, carried by a group of five re-enactors. They’ve got muzzle loading rifles and fire them off a couple of times. I chat one up after the parade: “I guess you are authentic in your garb. Is it all wool?” “Yep,” he answers, “Right down to the underwear,” which I didn’t ask about. They were the hottest group in the parade. Hardcore dudes but enjoying it. The guy volunteers that he also does WWII re-enacting, as a German infantryman. Go figure.
The Harley dudes, bikers, were there. It must be de rigueur for them to be unsmiling seniors with lots of facial hair. I give the guy that had a stuffed toy bald eagle on the rear seat credit. Nice touch.
There’s a guy who has like 100 restored auntique autos and always sends a few to the parade. They are neat, very nice, but how many 1931 Model A Fords do you want to see? I’ll go for the very cool old VW wagon with a wood and chrome luggage rack. That, and the guy in the 60s muscle car whom the sign said was the “original owner.”
The ball teams, businesses, clubs all had “floats.” I didn’t know there were so many bass pros in my area. Oh, these are young guys whose dad or grandad bankrolled the $50k bass boat and trailer. OK, grandad, can you calculate that price per pound of fish caught? If it’s worth it to you, I’m OK with that.
I’d give the blue ribbon to the local metalworking shop that built a stainless steel and chrome T-Rex about five feet high and 20 feet long. Very ferocious looking and quite cool.
I wonder if John Deere would be surprised that so many people spend so much money restoring his magnificent tractors, making them shine, where nary a clod of dirt will ever touch that tractor tire? Not many folks farm around here but, evidently, many folks like old tractors. Very cool, half a dozen or more of these.
A big hit in these parades is always the “honey wagon.” That’s the tanker truck of the local septic tank contractor. You know, he’s the guy you call to pump the processed groceries out of your tank. I don’t know what it is but all of these are guys-with-humor who have clever business names and look like they enjoy their work. I recommend that every overly militant Trad and every foaming-at-the-mouth insufferable Cal be sent to work on one of the wagons for a month to get their minds right and acquire a more healthy view of life.
This is a everyone-welcome parade. You want in it. You can get in. So, here comes a one-eyed, toothless, cross-dressing older guy doing clogging steps for the whole parade. All by himself. His outfit is a nice red, white, and blue ensemble. Fits the occasion. Everywhere I’ve ever served there are local characters. I take the attitude that I’d like to know his story because it’s probably interesting. Maybe I’ll find out one day.
The high school band plays a medley of patriotic songs. There are flags everywhere. It’s a grand event.
Oh yeah, several churches are in the parade. Good for them. One of the things I would do differently if I could re-do my early years as a pastor would be to be more involved in community life. I’d go whole hog at it I think because if you don’t you miss a lot of good opportunities to build relationships.
Besides, as pastor, they might even give me some pork skins.
Thank you, Brother Thornton, for wonderful look at small town America. I’m currently sitting on a hill at the local rec park, enjoying the festivities and waiting for the fireworks when it gets dark. I am blessed.
“Don’t get upset (no one at the parade did) but here comes the old Confederate battle flag, carried by a group of five re-enactors.”
Am I not to get upset because no one at the parade did, or am I not to get upset period. Too late William. Some people just don’t get it or do get it and don’t care. Either way it’s bad.
Debbie, you might consider that these people are hobbyists not crusaders. The guy wanted to talked about his wool uniform, not the Lost Cause.
Come to think of it, I didn’t seen a single angry partisan in the whole celebration although the GOP and Dems had booths next to each other.
A reminder of easier times in small towns back when people could be different yet cordial.
As long as people were white and people were different in the way William described CB. I lived in those small towns too. I don’t now for a reason.
Debbie,
Debbie, you didn’t live in “every” small town. There were and still are towns where people are cordial to each other, people of various socio-economic backgrounds. I realize (actually far better than you because I have lived or worked in places where dogs and snakes don’t crawl.) that most of the world is a cesspool. However, there were and are still some places that are not and you don’t need to constantly throw fecal matter at everyone simply because it seems like the right thing to do in your mind.
You need to stop being negative all the time. There are some good things and places on this planet. It’s not my fault or problem that you have never been to one or experienced a good thing in a social setting other than at church.
Stop raining on every parade. You are not the final authority on every social construct and I doubt seriously you have been the judge of every parade.
How many were white in this small town?
This part of GA is 80% or so white. Fifty years ago, Lemuel Penn was killed by the KKK just a few miles away. There were several mixed race families at the parade. No one batted an eye. No one claims life is idyllic but it is far from what it used to be.
Penalty for raining on my parade: no BBQ for you sister. Keep it up and I’ll sic the stainless steel T-Rex on you.
I could take him. 🙂 The Confederate flag is not appropriate no matter where or how it is flown. I think we spoke on that last year. It has not changed. Just because no one said anything does not mean it did not offend, and if it did not offend it doesn’t matter. It’s still wrong. That’s a negative I will always be. To glorify the Confederate flag in this way is to glorify a travesty from the South and especially Georgia.
That’s not to say anyone here is racist. It’s to say the Confederate flag is racist.
CB: That goes for you too.
Debbie, is that what you are angry about? The flag? I don’t care about the Confederate flag. I was just agreeing with William about small town holiday celebrations and parades. I doubt William cares about that flag either. He was just describing the parade.
Sister, sometimes you just get “all swelled up with yourself” and take everything way too seriously. Lighten up a little. Life’s too short to hunt monsters behind every bush. It’ll make you crazy and you will never have any fun. So, lighten up. Enjoy the parade once in a while. You will have plenty of real wars to fight another day. There’s not one here.
CB: Just by you saying is that is all I am angry about says it. Although not as much anger as disgusted that in this day and age, even if in ignorance, that evil flag is being flown. I think you both should care but I’m not your keeper. It does matter, although it seems the South may have different upbringing, that flag is racist and I will call it racist in comments as long as it is flown anywhere. Even in a town that is as swell as Mayberry.
As for me being “swelled up with myself”, I’ve been told worse for saying what is evil. If I would have been there I would have caused a riot in that small town, so I would disagree that there is no fight here. If that is being “swelled up with myself” I can live with that and sleep well at night too.
Debbie,
I don’t even care about the “one-eyed, toothless, cross-dressing, older guy doing clogging steps for the whole parade.” Debbie, it was a parade. That’s all. It was just a bunch of people in a small town who got together to celebrate the 4th of July. That’s what William was writing about and I enjoyed reading what he wrote. I enjoyed reading the article because I like parades. I like to eat good B-B-Q. I like fresh pork skins with hot sauce on them like the first President Bush did. That’s all there is to it. William wrote about a celebration of the 4th of July in a small town and I related to it, nothing more.
I would not have cared had Tom Cruse been in the parade in his “Born On The 4th of July” attire from the movie or had Bruce Springsteen been there following behind the Shriner guys on their scooters, singing “Born In The USA.” It was a parade, Debbie. Nothing more.
It was just a holiday celebration and parade. It was not some kind of political march. Yet, you say, had you been there, you “would have caused a riot in that small town.”
Debbie, let me give you a piece of advice. Never, ever, not ever go to Gettysburg, PA during the week of the 4th of July. If you do, you will see reenactment folks portraying both the Northern and Southern armies from the Civil War. You will be driven to madness and if you try to “start a riot,” you will be arrested and sent packing back to Oklahoma without getting to enjoy the parade or eat one bite of B-B-Q and that would just be a shame, ’cause you will miss a wonderful parade and some really good eats.
Spot. On…
William,
Oh, you make me miss Georgia! My husband and I retired in Augusta (he was a huge golf fan). I am familiar with those sweet small towns. When he died I moved to Fort Worth to go to seminary but am looking at Georgia when I graduate (unless the Lord sends me overseas).
It was a parade. I enjoyed it. Everyone there enjoyed it. We will leave it at that. No more flag stuff. Thanks.
William,
One thing you might suggest to the parade organizers next year is more cowbell.They could use more cowbell.