Parade Marshal

Today I volunteered at the Twin City Pride Parade in Minneapolis. I got free parking at the Dunwoody Institute. From there I walked to Loring Park where I checked in at the volunteer tent. I got my bright green t shirt, a pride backpack bag, and my swag which included a water bottle, a tiny fan that hooks up to an eye phone, a collapsible straw, and some lip balm. We took a shuttle bus to our destination. The woman driving the first shuttle bus did not know exactly where to go. Soon enough she had 12 back seat drivers yelling directions at her. Traffic was terrible because of the Pride 5K run. Some streets were blocked off. Some people were let off where they wanted to be. One woman on the bus got agitated. She said we all had legs and should get off so this driver could go back and get more people. She also said that our job was to blend in with the people we were walking with. We should wear the clothes they were wearing. Here we are all wearing pride volunteer t shirts and she is saying we will be putting on other clothes. She said last year she was a lion. One woman started arguing with her and she got more vehement so we all quit talking to her. We were glad when she got off the van because she had been talking loudly about getting off the van for five full minutes. Eventually time was running out so the three of us who were left got off the van and walked to our assignments. I had a nice corner to wait. Once the parade started the fun began. I was waving to the paraders. If I caught a piece of candy or a necklace I have it to the people behind me. One guy approached me and asked if I was a volunteer. I said I was. He thanked me and told me he was John, Amy's husband. He said he hoped it would not rain. I said I had an umbrella with me. He showed me he had an umbrella stuck in his pocket. As he walked away I realized that possibly I shook hands with the future first husband of the United States! Later a guy with a huge camera set up next to me. A drumming group walked by and he took his camera off the tripod and focused the shot on the sticks hitting the drums, walking backward as he filmed. Soon enough he introduced himself as Alex Hagen. He asked if he could interview me. I said sure. He put a microphone on me and asked me some questions. He put the camera real close to my face. I told him he was very close and asked him if my wrinkles were showing. He said I looked beautiful. He said I might be on the news tonight. Later I watched the news with my father and was glad to see I was cut out of the filming. There were so many people at the parade today because it was the 50 year anniversary of the Stonewall incident. And the clothing! You should see what some people wear! Some of the clothing is beautiful and others make me shake my head. I try not to be judgy but I saw things today that I do not usually see. This one float with movie characters stood at my corner for a long time. Moana was there and an octopus lady was there and Captain Jack Sparrow was there. Oh, Captain Jack Sparrow! I had my eye on him. Later in the day I saw him again as I walked back to Loring Park. And then after my lunch I was walking back up the parade to meet Offspring #2 and Captain Jack Sparrow was there again. I will probably dream about Captain Jack Sparrow tonight. All in all I had a super day with the peaceful, inclusive, and colorful crowd. I would definitely volunteer there again.