Today I marched in a pride parade for the first time. I love watching them from the sidelines but this was an elevated experience.
We didn’t even have candy or popsicles or a float but the energy from the crowds along the way was super invigorating.
I mean, we did have three girls in our group doing cartwheels and that amped up the cheers quite a bit.
I thankfully brought mom’s rainbow umbrella and srsly think it saved my life.
By the time we got to the densest crowds at Fountain Square I thought I might pass out. (Thanks TikTok for all the breathing exercises to work through panic!)
In hindsight, next time there will be a wagon with a cooler and water involved, and I will train in advance, walking in the heat of the day to get sturdy.
Because at the end? It was invigorating to be around such a large, enthusiastic and wildly diverse crowd of folks to celebrate a moment in the shadow of so much utter nonsense.
