My first official function was my very first parade! Or at least if I was in a parade as a child, that memory has long since faded away. So for all intents and purposes, this was my first parade. Actually this was my first pre-official function as I am not officially Ms. Rhode Island Sr. 2014 until, uh, 2014. Funny how that works out. I was invited to participate in 2013 Fiesta Bowl Parade in Phoenix by the Arizona Cameo organization.
You would be surprised at the amount of work that goes into participating in a parade. As a professional entertainer I know that most audiences do not know the amount of work it takes to put on a performance, but I had no idea it was the same with participating in a parade. New lessons learned every day!
Planning what to wear becomes more than just opening the "gown closet." This is January in Phoenix. It was cold. (I know, it's nothing compared to other parts of the country, but I'm acclimated to hot and hotter.) So all of my strapless gowns would need some sort of warm top. But a glitzy, sparkly top befitting a parade. I have them, but none are warm. SO I decided on the vintage Lillie Rubin dress you see in the photo (I love vintage!). The problem was that the dress is only 3/4 length, not a gown. Solution: wear it over long palazzo pants and black knee boots. I'd be sitting in the car anyway and no one would see it; when I did stand up I was told it looked "very Russian." And I was warm. In fact, a little too warm as the day progressed!.
You would be surprised at the amount of work that goes into participating in a parade. As a professional entertainer I know that most audiences do not know the amount of work it takes to put on a performance, but I had no idea it was the same with participating in a parade. New lessons learned every day!
Planning what to wear becomes more than just opening the "gown closet." This is January in Phoenix. It was cold. (I know, it's nothing compared to other parts of the country, but I'm acclimated to hot and hotter.) So all of my strapless gowns would need some sort of warm top. But a glitzy, sparkly top befitting a parade. I have them, but none are warm. SO I decided on the vintage Lillie Rubin dress you see in the photo (I love vintage!). The problem was that the dress is only 3/4 length, not a gown. Solution: wear it over long palazzo pants and black knee boots. I'd be sitting in the car anyway and no one would see it; when I did stand up I was told it looked "very Russian." And I was warm. In fact, a little too warm as the day progressed!.
I made it to the first staging area and met up with my driver and his car. And what a car!! A white 1948 Ford convertible with burgundy leather interior, great whitewalls and an engine that really said something with he stepped on it! I was in car heaven!! I can tell you, this car was all that and a little bit more!! So into the back seat I climbed (uh oh, the seats didn't fold forward; good thing I didn't eat too much breakfast as I had to squeeze myself into the back seat.) Once in it was a lovely ride (albeit a little breezy with the top down) to the beginning of the parade route.
That's where the waiting really begins. The parade itself is a very short period of time compared to the actual waiting to get moving. But it was a wonderful time to catch up with old friends and a chance to make new friends (I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Mrs. India Arizona 2009 riding in a powder blue T-Bird behind me.)
The parade route was lined with so many people all enjoying the great weather and the parade, especially the children. Great smiles. lots of people waving and lots of people shouting "Happy New Year." And I was surprised at how many Rhode Islanders there were - people shouting out cities they were from really made it special for me. But when they started shouting "Welcome to Phoenix" and "How do you like our weather?" I didn't have the heart to tell them I'd been living here in Arizona for 20 years!
You see, I am representing Rhode Island, my family's home state and where I spent much of the happier times of my youth, as a delegate-at-large at the national Ms. Senior America Pageant in Atlantic City in October 2014. So while I live in Arizona, I actually represent Rhode Island. I know it's confusing, but most of life is confusing anyway! Why should this be an exception?
That's where the waiting really begins. The parade itself is a very short period of time compared to the actual waiting to get moving. But it was a wonderful time to catch up with old friends and a chance to make new friends (I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Mrs. India Arizona 2009 riding in a powder blue T-Bird behind me.)
The parade route was lined with so many people all enjoying the great weather and the parade, especially the children. Great smiles. lots of people waving and lots of people shouting "Happy New Year." And I was surprised at how many Rhode Islanders there were - people shouting out cities they were from really made it special for me. But when they started shouting "Welcome to Phoenix" and "How do you like our weather?" I didn't have the heart to tell them I'd been living here in Arizona for 20 years!
You see, I am representing Rhode Island, my family's home state and where I spent much of the happier times of my youth, as a delegate-at-large at the national Ms. Senior America Pageant in Atlantic City in October 2014. So while I live in Arizona, I actually represent Rhode Island. I know it's confusing, but most of life is confusing anyway! Why should this be an exception?
RSS Feed
