This year, Mary & I are on our own for Thanksgiving day, Paul and Elizabeth will be coming tomorrow for the weekend but today is ours.  Fondly remembering Thanksgivings past, I tuned in to Macy’s parade on NBC and to my dismay, was presented with a stage show on the street.

Glitzy dances and special effects were the order of the day as group after group appeared essentially advertizing their Broadway shows or miami led display television sitcoms.  Switching to CBS changed nothing but the sitcoms – Macy’s parade had become nothing more than a multi-media commercial.  Oh, there were a few bands and other groups that only received minimal attention from the networks but the “Parade” was lost in the glitter.

Flipping channels in disgust, I happened upon the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade from Chicago.  Presented on WGN, this was a real parade!  Marching bands galore, miniature horses, all sorts of local groups marching and dancing and while many did have a message, the advertizing message was subordinated to the joy of the event.

We saw real people dancing and marching both in and out of step with the music, many ethnic groups, lodges, dance troupes, horses and children jumping for joy and just enjoying the moment.

I think I’ll tune in to the Chicago parade or another smaller regional event next year and celebrate the day.