Tonight my husband and I grabbed a quick burger and drove to the site of our local high school Football Homecoming parade. We parked the car by the edge of the road and we waited for the parade to start.

Across from us were a group of teenagers and grandparents waiting and the song blasting through the air was a remake of our same 70’s high school song way back in the day.

My mind went racing backwards to my very own freshman high school Homecoming day and the excitement of making our float and knowing that my dad was going to pull the float with his old ratty jeep.

It was so much fun! We goofed off all day and the parade was in the afternoon. Later we had the huge bonfire and the snake dance from the school all the way to the town square and back. Of course then there was the big game and the escorting and crowning of the queen.

And oh, the band! My husband had played in that band and the sounds and the lights reflecting off those football helmets was a sight to behold!

Yes, this is hometown tradition and I love it! There is something about little hometowns where everyone knows everybody else and we share our lives together.

We parked beside our local dentist and his wife who had been our son’s kindergarten teacher 30 years ago. We reminisced about the turtle our son brought to school for show and tell and how the teacher brought it home to us over the weekend because she was afraid it was going to die on her watch.

We saw our fellow classmates there tonight snapping pictures of their grandchildren. It was amazing!

I pray that this tradition never ends in our little town and that we hold it near and dear to our hearts because this is the stuff that America is made of.

Go Hogeye!