Today’s List:
1. You must enter Atlanta's lantern parade into your 2016 calendar immediately.
2. If you won’t
be in Atlanta the second Saturday of September 2016, check to see if there is a lantern parade somewhere nearby. Or, start one.
I was at the
2015 Lantern Parade in Atlanta last night, sitting on the last leg of the route.
I was cracking neon jewelry for the three pre-k’s I was with and chatting with
their parents who were trying to keep the paper lanterns we made on the sticks
that held them. Not an easy task because when wielded by a three-year-old these
things become weapons. However, since everyone is getting stuck by someone else’s
lantern pole, it makes for a merriness.
In fact, the
whole night was riddled with glee. Well, not the moment when two of the pre-k’s
lost their helium balloons, but certainly the rest of it.
Across the
Beltline path from us a small combo played Baby Boomer hits while the night fell. The pre-K’s danced
in neon abandon and we all scurried about trying to corral them into a limited
space as the crowds arrived. Then the moon came up, the stars came out, and the glow of a community
of light surrounding us pulsed with that wonderful hum of a city at play.
And trust me,
Atlantans came out to play on the Beltline last night. We saw jellyfish lanterns
and Hindenburg lanterns; Minion, Madonna, and makeshift lanterns. We saw people
strung up, down, and around with twinkling lights; Segways in neon glory; a group
setting off beaming, flying saucers in unison; people tossing glowing Frisbees back
and forth from the path to the overpass. We saw neon dreadlocks, neon footwear, neon signs, and neon nonsense. We saw half-naked women walk by
painted in body glow wonder.
And then the parade reached us.
It was led by the brightly lit and legendary Atlanta marching band, The Abominables. Twinkling umbrellas twirled, gleaming trombones blared, and a glowing pumpkin head conducted. What followed was a stream of people having a great deal of fun while filling some more people with a great deal of delight.
Bravo, Atlanta,
what a spectacle of home-made beauty! Families paraded with themed
lanterns, pulling neon bedecked kids in red wagons, followed by friends with flashing lasers, and neighbors in neon hats. There were two enormous, flowing
white birds, so airy their wings kissed our cheeks as they passed to ooohs and
ahhhs of every caliber. We applauded, we cheered, and we even got a
little teary.
The softness of the lanterns floating on the first crisp wafts of fall was just the right touch for the summer weary and wobegeone among us. We all came to
that parade last night with some weight burdening our neon glow – from lost
balloons to lost youth; lost hope to lost faith; lost health to lost love. But somehow
when the night fell, the pooled light of all that creativity infused us with a profound
truth. Together, we can light the way. Together, Atlanta did it last night.
Suzanne McLain Rosenwasser is the author of several books:
Suzanne McLain Rosenwasser is the author of several books:
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