Posts
Mariam
and March Madness
For anyone born in Indiana basketball is part of the DNA.
Thus it’s Big News with the Final Four right
next door in Glendale.
And the March
Madness Musical Festival is a stone’s throw away from my apartment. I can see the ferris wheel turning from my
balcony. However windy weather had blown
in some aches and pains for my 89 year old bones and I didn’t think it wise
that I walk close to a mile for the action.
I watched about ten minutes of South Carolina and Gonzaga. The sun came out. I couldn’t miss the chance of a lifetime. I changed shoes, put on a pullover for warmth
(a mistake), put cell phone, ID and a few dollars in a (no larger than) 5x8”
pouch and got a bottle of (unopened) water out of the refrg. If the aches got bad, I’d turn back.
Anticipation took over. The heavy grass on the west part
of Hance Park slowed me down, but I could see the action ahead. I entered the airport-looking security gate
about a quarter to four. Here the
plastic sack, a handy way to carry my water bottle, had to be thrown into the
garbage barrel. Music sounds came across
the park; I could hear Capital Cities on the stage.
The price tag for the three day event – FREE. That’s my kind of admission. The information sheets read “Come early,
Seating is on a First come, first served basis.” The only seating I saw was of the BYOB type,
that is Bring Your Own Blanket.
Capital Cities belongs to the type of music called
“pop.” I didn’t know what this sound
would be like since it would not be my kind of pop. If they played Tommy Dorsey’s “Boogie
Woogie,” I would understand it. It
didn’t matter, I liked the beat, and my feet kept moving. One of
the official “March Madness” photographers – the man carrying the big camera on
his shoulder - recorded shots of me taking pictures of the crowd and he also
has a couple of minutes of my feet dancing.
My biggest surprise – and I don’t know why – the age of
the crowd. I’m mixed in with teens and
what is called the “Millennials.” (18 to
29’s) I doubt if anyone even came close
to 50 and definitely not near my 89.
Well, it pays off to get old.
These kids were super polite. I
was allowed and helped to get closer to the stage. Longer arms held up my camera. And amazingly, these youngsters wanted their
picture taken with me. In return I got
my picture giving big hugs.
The last time I was on a ferris wheel was in the 1950s at
Riverside Park in Indianapolis and with a date.
I didn’t plan on standing in that long, long line to get on a free ride,
but I couldn’t pass up a chance to get pictures from a top angle.
After the ferris wheel made a couple of circuits and the
Capital Cities band had moved off the stage, the time had come for me to head
home. The last picture I took is
probably my favorite – four great big beautiful policemen protecting me. That can’t be beat!!!
For the record, my pedometer read 2.2 miles which doesn’t
include the dancing.
