Making Lemonade In Reverse

 COVID 19 has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, sickened millions, devastated nearly everyone's finances, and dramatically compromised everyone's social life, and the life of every community. Somehow, amazingly, resiliently, those of us left alive seem to be adjusting. there is a small town in middle America in which the annual Christmas parade has a special significance, is in fact larger than life for the small community. The parade has become, over the decades, the social event of the season, of the entire calendar year. everyone in town participates, and people come from miles around because of the parade's size and excitement. It is televised locally. People line the streets five deep, children up front or perched on tall shoulders. Dozens of beautifully, artfully, elaborately decorated floats glide along Main street, and blaring marching bands proudly march by,  as cheerleaders throw candy at the kids and people applaud, yell encouragement and approval, and children scramble madly after the candy. Then came twenty twenty, the virus, and it was all gone - or so it seemed. Dark, dark, quiet, sad streets. The dull silence of community fear and discontent. Nothing. Until somebody, who refused to give up, had an idea. If we can't bring the parade to the people, we will bring the people to the parade.This year the parade, slated for the usual early December, will be a bit different. It will feature the same elaborately decorated floats, the same proud  blaring strident marching bands, the pretty cheerleaders, the candy. Only this time , the parade will go nowhere. It will remain stationery, standing still. The parade will be on a treadmill of sorts, on Main Street, standing in place, proudly displaying itself before its adoring admirers. The community will drive by the parade. The community be will in motion. Families in cars, bumper to bumper, slowly parading past the parade, the kids with butterfly nets hanging out the back seat windows catching candy tossed from the cheerleaders. The nets courtesy of the Chamber of Commerce, thank you local business persons. Yes, it'll be a bit different, but these days everything is a bit different. This is a town which refused to give up on its cherished parade. This is the true American spirit, on parade, never giving up, always finding a way to succeed. This is nobility of character, and of soul. This is the America we all know, and love, the America which has not given up, the america still very much alive, very much ready to succeed again. As we learn to deal with our new reality we adjust, and we make do, and by so doing, we reveal our true selves. In america we never quit, and the show must go on.