The nation's oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade once again comes to Philadelphia,
announcing the arrival of the holiday season, beautiful floats, marching bands,
musical guests, dance teams, and ample amounts of cheer.  As far as the McDonald
household is concerned, the feature attraction in the 2007 parade is the Southview
High Marching Tigers from Hope Mills, North Carolina lead down the street by our
own 17 year old, Meredith Sally McDonald.  Southview was the only high school band
from North Carolina invited to march in this year's parade.  The parade is sponsored
by Boscov's, America's largest family owned department store.  It also is America's
oldest Thanksgiving Day parade.

Dating back to 1910, Philadelphia's Thanksgiving Parade starts at 20th and Market
Street and winds along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.  The procession continues to
the Philadelphia Museum of Art, bring a troop of popular characters from Sesame
Street and Disney in floats and balloons.  Last but not least, Santa ushers Philadelphia
into the holiday season.

Meredith left home Wednesday at 1 A.M. with two other band students and two band
parents.  They arrived at 10:30 A.M. and went straight into a television studio for an
interview.  The kids were asked questions about Southview band.  As the band
marches down the parade route, these kids will be highlighted in circle slips above the
band, commenting on the band and their experiences - What a thrill for our family
and Meredith, my child on national TV!!!  If that event wasn't enough excitement for
these kids, a flood of excitement broke loose just tonight.  Meredith called me only
minutes ago to tell me that she and the same two kids would be interviewed LIVE on
Good Morning America on Thanksgiving morning!  As I sit here typing this story, my
chest is so large I can hardly reach the keyboard.  By the way, Meredith and the kids
are the Drum Majors, a first for the Marching Tigers, three Drum Majors.  Meredith
will be easy to distinguish.  One Drum Major is a white boy, one is a white girl, and
one is a black girl.  Yours truly is a good 'ole white boy.  Southview is one of the largest
high school bands in the state with 170 members.  I suppose they needed three Drum
Majors.

Every parent's wish is that his children will exceed all the achievements he reached
and that life would be a smoother road than he traveled.  At 17, Meredith can go two
up on her old Dad.  By the time I was 17, I had been through Philadelphia many times.
However, I am talking about the black community located on US 1 North between
Rockingham and Foxport. Likewise, by the time I was 17, I had also been in a parade. 
However, this event in history occurred in the fall season of 1965.  I was fortunate
enough to chauffeur Linda Smith (RHS '66) in the Rockingham High Homecoming
Parade. I drove a white 1965 Ford Falcon with red leather interior.  I was so nervous. 
No, I was not worried about driving someone else's car.  I was worried about Linda
flipping over backwards and landing on East Washington Street as we stopped and
started down the street.  I probably made her nervous by staring in the rearview
mirror at her short skirt.  No, I was not that kind of guy.  Being the substitute bus
driver I was in high school, I was concerned over a safety issue.  Linda had the
Homecoming Parade wave down pat but she was just too small to hold on with one
hand.  Linda was five foot nothing and weighed less than 100 pounds.  Yet, she was
the prettiest girl in high school I never dated.  It was not because I did not want to. 
Either she had a steady boyfriend whom I cannot remember or I was just in awe of
her beauty and feared rejection if I ever worked up nerve to askfor a date.  Linda was
so easy to talk to about any other subject.  I got over the fear of gorgeous women
named Smith and married Sally,my present and only wife five years later.  Now,
Meredith has been to Philadelphia and will also likely be nervous in a parade. 
However, my experience is not on the same level of achievement and excitement as
hers.  You see Dear 'Ole Dad never had to leave home for his adventures, one of my
precious childhood memories of growing up in Rockingham, North Carolina - a small
town in the South in the '50s & '60s.