HAYDEN: Proud of our fine town

At the Hayden Lights Parade Saturday night, I stood on the curb beside a white couple with two adopted black girls under the age of 8, as we viewed the colorful floats and decorated vehicles.

The girls and I were thrilled to see 17 dogs decorated with various colorful lights that glimmered, shimmered, winked and blinked as they walked by. But the best parade animal was a young zebra. I didn't know we had a zebra living around here.

Free hot chocolate, coffee and cookies were offered afterward and two groups of elementary school kids sang three Christmas songs that were fun and delightful: "Blitzen Boogie," "Hot Cup of Cocoa" and "Rock & Roll Snowman."

Between songs, it was announced that they had a lost boy requesting a parent pick him up at the bandstand, prompting the man behind me to shout, "If no one claims him, I'll take him. I've got four girls," causing jolly laughter.

It was 30 degrees and my ears were frozen, so I walked home before they flipped the switch that lighted the tall decorated tree in Hayden Park.

Although I'm 76, I go to parades because I always see something interesting in the parade, meet interesting folks and it puts me with a bunch of normal family people celebrating.

In other words, this is the real America, and we are good people.

SHIRLEY ELLIS

Hayden