The marching band had a side gig yesterday: A Halloween parade.
Not just any Halloween parade, though--one that went through a neighborhood devastated by EF2 force winds two months ago today. And I honestly didn't recognize the neighborhood in which we had done some house hunting two decades ago. And looking around, I can see that the residents still don't, either.
Once crowned with a luxurious growth of deciduous trees, the entire neighborhood has been stripped bare. Condemned houses sit side by side with houses seemingly untouched. Climate change incarnate. The randomness of the carnage is at best unnerving.
The band marched down from the high school and mustered with a fire truck and a couple police vehicles. When they launched into the cadence, then Carry On, the closer from their show, people who weren't already outside with their kids came to their doors, phones in hand. Kids joined in the parade, in costume, as did the neighbors, old, young, dog walkers, or people who just wanted to be a part of the festivities.
By the time the band hit the last stretch of their route, people had pulled up chairs to the street, watching and clapping. Children in costumes flanked both sides and trailed behind.
It was a good day.
But there is still a lot of recovery ahead for this community. And there are a lot of hands and hearts that are making the healing happen.
Grateful.
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