Like Homecoming But Without The Zits

I did something today that I haven't done in more than 30-years. I helped to construct an old fashioned, "hey gang, let's put on a play" do-it-yourself parade float. The last time I worked on such a rolling work of art was homecoming my senior year in high school. It was a marvel. We were playing the Gordon High School Generals, and my assignment, along with friends Chuck Antonie and Mike Williamson, was to design and build a seven-foot tall replica of the "General", as if walking to his death at the blade of an amazingly realistic guillotine. The figure looked somewhat like a stately scarecrow in full military attire, with an ostrich plume on his hat. Oh what we could do with two-by-fours, chicken wire, papier mache, and tempera paint. I don't remember if we won or lost the game, or if our entry took an award, but I clearly remember the fun that we had working on that project. That same feeling returned tonight in a stone and timber country barn as a much older group of friends worked to turn a flat-bed trailer covered in wood, fabric, zip ties and imagination into another rolling work of art like so many years ago. Most of us are gray or midway there. It took two to lift what one of us could have easily toted just a few years ago. Some showed up a bit late or had to leave a bit early because of scheduling conflicts. But, despite the little inconveniences, changes in design, and lots of improvisation, the thing took shape nicely and will be a work worth applauding at the annual holiday parade this Saturday. It may not be the most professional entry on Main Street, but I'll wager few other teams had more fun tonight working on their float than we did. It was almost like homecoming but without the zits.