Memorial Day

When I was growing up, my favorite holiday was Memorial Day!  I know that's weird.  I'm sure if you conduct a poll, 0 out of 100 kids would name Memorial Day as their favorite holiday.  Let me explain why it was so much fun for me.

First of all, we always got a new outfit to wear on Memorial Day - of course, it had to be  red, white and blue.  I would pray for a warm, sunny day because the weather in the Northeast in late May can be cool.  Sweaters and jackets can just ruin a good stars and stripes theme.  (Don't even get me started about what a cold or rainy Halloween night can do to a good scary costume.)

We always watched the Shelton parade sitting on the curb in front of my great grandmother's house surrounded by extended family and friends.  The adults had lawn chairs, but the kids sat on the concrete...not very pleasant when wearing shorts (even if they are a cute navy and white stripe).  Also, not a great spot to be in when the Shelton High Majotettes marching by would throw their batons 15 feet into the air and then try to catch them. (I'm not sure how hard they really tried.)  My mom tells the story that one year  I was looking straight up as the baton came down on my head!  I don't remember this.  I'm not sure if that is because I was too young to recall it or because I had memory loss from a severe head injury.

After the parade, we would walk over to the Aherns' house and eat  donuts and pastry while the crowds and traffic thinned.  Then we would go home and kill a few hours before going to my aunt and uncle's house for a really fun picnic that would last into the night.

There were always cases of bottled Castle soda in a variety of flavors under the tree and we drank as many as we wanted  since the adults were busy with their own beverages.   Birch Beer was my favorite with Cream a close seond.

After hot dogs and hamburgers, salads, ice cream and softball, my cousin Robin and I would usually go up to her room and make prank phone calls.  I never had a phone in my room, so this was very exciting. Today's kids don't realize what they are missing.   Caller ID has ruined one of the most fun and creative activities of our youth.  The thrill of a good prank phone call was about as daring as I ever got and to this day it still makes me smile.

Reading this over, I guess it's impossible to recapture the magic of a great memory.  None of this sounds as exciting as I remember it, but I still recall that feeling of anticipation and excitement and stand by my vote for  Memorial Day as my all time favorite holiday.