Growing Up In Greenhills- Week Four

Holidays are important to kids and summer ones were, I think, the most fun. For example, Memorial Day signaled the opening of the Greenhills pool on the weekends which in turn signaled the end of school was near. Labor Day was always a sad day because it signaled that the start of school was coming soon. The truth of the matter, we were ready to go back to school. By this time we were bored out of our minds and our mothers all were saying, “I can’t wait for school to start. I can’t wait for school to start.” As if saying it twice was going to make it come any sooner! But the best holiday of the summer by far was the 4th of July. 

There were many things we looked forward to on July 4th. There was a Rotary-sponsored carnival with rides, petting zoos, games, and food! We ate fresh roasted sweet corn, funnel cakes, foot-long hotdogs, and cotton candy. The carnival always opened the Saturday before the 4th. The pool was opened to the public for free for the entire week. Made for some crowded swimming but it was great fun. There was the Miss Greenhills Beauty Pageant. You would never ever at that age catch me going to that, no way. 

But by far the best day was the actual 4th of July! It started with a children’s bike parade at Beechwoods Elementary School sponsored by local merchants. Then after that came the community parade sponsored by the fire department complete with the high school marching band, fire trucks, police cars, marching American Veterans, Shriner clowns in little cars, floats, classic cars with people throwing out candy, the bike parade winners, and more! Then around 9:00 pm, we all waited for the Star Spangled Fireworks Spectacular sponsored by the Hugh Watson American Legion post to begin. 

The fireworks lived up to its name, they were spectacular. You could sit on the ground around the American Legion building, sit in or on your car in the A & P grocery store parking lot, or sit in the comfort of your backyard. The bad thing about your backyard was you could not see the ground fireworks during the grand finale and was it ever grand, complete with a huge fireworks American flag! 

My first year with all the activities was overwhelming. As usual, ZT took the lead in showing me what to do. On June 30th, ZT showed me what I needed to buy to decorate my bike for the bike parade. I met him at his house and he showed me a big box with pinwheels, handlebar streamers, crepe paper, balloons, and old playing cards. “This,” he said, “is my parade war chest.” He was serious about this. “You need to go up to Gill’s Variety Store and buy some stuff like this. Gill always stocks up for this event since he was one of the sponsors. He practically gives it away! Then use your imagination.” I looked at my red standard Huffy bike and thought to myself, I could be a lot more imaginative if I had a red 1964 Schwinn Stingray bike with cool chopper handlebars, a sleek banana seat, and a sissy bar on the back like ZT’s Stingray bike.

I went home and asked Mom for an advance on my allowance. She asked, “Why do you need an advance, and how much?” I explained about the bike parade and she just gave me $5 and said “Consider it my investment in your bike decorations.”

After I got back from Gill’s on Friday I laid out all my stuff around my bike and began to figure out what I wanted to do. I convinced my mom to not park the car in the garage so I could decorate my bike in the privacy of a closed garage. When I got done I was pretty pleased with my first bike decorating. I knew I wouldn’t win any prizes but at least I would not be laughed at. I put all the leftover decorations in an empty box and started my own “parade war chest” for next year.

I woke up Saturday morning ready to go. Soon I was peddling my bike to the school. They lined us up in groups on the playground. Each grade was a group. All of us in the fourth grade from all the elementary schools were in one large group. The small kids in kindergarten and younger went first. There would be a winner from each group that would ride on a float with their bicycle. There was a grand winner prize who would ride on a float all by themselves!

I kept looking for ZT. I was worried that he would not make it. Then I saw him. He was on his decorated bike dressed like an army soldier complete with a helmet. He was towing a decorated wagon behind with his brother Eric dressed like Uncle Sam waving an American flag. They were something to behold. 

I didn’t win anything but ZT and Eric were the grand prize winners. They won $25 and the right to ride on the grand prize winner’s float. I was so proud of ZT. However, I knew that I needed to ask for a 1964 red Schwinn Stingray Bike for Christmas and then maybe I could win next year. If I don’t win, who cares, I will still have a 1964 Schwinn Stingray bike.

Photo courtesy of Bobcycles.