Dear editor,

Question: What鈥檚 better than a parade?

Answer: A fast parade.

I was in the Canada Day parade. And it went by so fast, I hardly had time to notice it.

The parade is supposed to be 鈥渇amily and community oriented.鈥� But you wouldn鈥檛 know it from all the rules and regulations accompanying that claim. Parade organizers tell the entrants the many things they 鈥渕ust鈥� and 鈥渕ust not鈥� do.

鈥淣othing is to be thrown from any parade entry!鈥�

鈥淔orward motion must be maintained at all times鈥搒topping is not permitted.鈥� (I鈥檓 surprised there wasn鈥檛 another exclamation mark after that regulation.)

The entrants were hustled along by these 鈥渞equired pacers鈥� like a waitress at closing time. There was no time to acknowledge the crowd, no time to perform stunts or dances, no time for kids to pet the animals. There was no time to give out candy, since we couldn鈥檛 throw it. Some families had waited an hour, their kids lined up along the curbs, so they could get a good view of the rush of 鈥淐anadian colour鈥� as the parade flew by in record time.

The parade organizers missed the point completely. I know this because, later, I was talking with someone who had been in the parade with a performance group. We both noted the speed of the parade. She said that her group couldn鈥檛 perform any of the moves they鈥檇 rehearsed or give out their pocketsful of suckers because they didn鈥檛 have time. I said, 鈥淲hy didn鈥檛 you just perform your moves anyhow.鈥� And you know her answer? 鈥淲e did that last year and got in trouble.鈥� You get in trouble for stopping and performing鈥� in a parade. Apparently, the most important thing about a parade is the speed, not the spectacle.

Judy Johnson,

Comox