The best seat in the house.
Actually all seats are great in this tiny beach side community, where parade viewers are within touching and shouting distance of each float as it passes by.
Also know as the candy parade, the candy while holding little charm for the tiny pup, holds much for the children and adults in the crowd, who come prepared with buckets, bags, and empty cups, soon to be filled with candy thrown from each float as it passes.
Although the candy lends immeasurable charm, the real beauty of the parade is it's heralding back to the innocence and beauty of bygone years, where communities loved and celebrated the beauty of life, as well,as a community.
As scrubbed clean faces all dressed head to toe in Christmas regalia, march, dance and sing along the parade route, their fellow neighbors called out to them "Hi Kelly" "Merry Christmas Shanice!" in true small town closeness.
New Smyrna Beach is an idyllic beach community somewhat reminiscent of fictitious Amnity Island made famous in the movie Jaws, and it's main thoroughfare, indeed the road of the parade route, ends in a beach ramp taking you right onto the sun kissed beach and ocean.
Moving to Florida from the North, Pittsburgh to be precise, the beauty of the laid back philosophy of Florida is never lost on me.
So when a lone black VW Jetta is parked directly on the parade route not really blocking the parade but blocking a tiny amount of visibility, I am not surprised but equally thrilled when my neighbor calls to a nearby policemen "Hey are you going to tow the car?" and he calls back with a smile and the simple reply "No we're going to let it be."
Let it be, yes there is so much beauty in that.
A little Japanese boy about 4 years old sits with his doting parents, a big red cup of candy in his lap.
A errant pitch of candy catches him on his forehead and everyone calls is he alright.
And yes he is, with a big smile from his parents.
As to my beloved dogs, a pair of big beauties sit across the street from me and I lose count of how many strangers throw their arms around two big fat necks and give them Christmas hugs.
Behind me sits a gentle giant of a beautiful golden retriever, seeming immune to the constant praise of his beauty.
I watch as a man on a float catches the eye of the retrievers owner and mouths something to him as he throws something to the dog.
To my delight, dog candy, a huge rawhide Christmas candy cane that goes out to all the dogs in the crowd.
Just a shining beautiful moment in a shining beautiful parade, that made my heart sing with joy at a community where no one is forgotten.
Small town America at it's finest New Smyrna Florida.
-Katheleen Mitro
mitrofineart.com
