The View From My Golf Cart

So I’m driving a Golf Cart down University Avenue in Toronto…sorry there’s no punch line.  It’s true. 

A phone call on Saturday morning from my great friend Craig lit the fuse on an entirely new experience for me.  The following day was a big day for Toronto.  Santa Claus was coming to town as he does every year just ahead of his “BIG RIDE” on the 25^th of December.   It’s Toronto’s Santa Claus Parade…number 108 to be exact.  Craig has taken on the family tradition of organizing; slotting bands into the parade and making sure they exit the parade efficiently.  At almost the last minute Craig’s nephew who usually helps out had to back out due to some unforeseen difficulties and I was asked to fill his shoes.  I can say without hesitation that I’ve not been this excited about seeing Santa in thirty years or more.

I’m sure there wasn’t much sleep Saturday night as I tried to imagine what it was that I’d agreed to.  What sleep I did get was interrupted by dreams of me single handedly derailing this globally viewed event.  Before long it was time to get up and go.  I honestly had butterflies in my stomach, as I was genuinely excited and a bit nervous.  What if I wrecked Santa’s parade?  That’s a lump of coal for sure!

Before I really knew what happened all the bands were on their way and Santa was closing in behind us.  It was time for us to drive the entire route to make it to the end to help marshal the bands out.  This is where it gets really…really good.  I was completely blown away by the endless sea of smiling faces on either side of the route.  So much happiness in so many people.  The crowd was filled with every kind of person you could imagine.  To me it was as thought for that moment in time the entire human race was singularly united.  Everyone was happy, smiling, full of optimism and pure joy.  We were all one.  I’m not above admitting I found this experience very emotional at times sensing that lump creeping up in my throat.  I thought of places in the world that don’t have simple basics much less a parade like this one.  How lucky are we?! Around this time the solution for world peace came to me…we just need to have a Santa Claus parade every day.  Doesn’t that sound great?  A single celebratory event that unites each of us and allows us to glow in one another’s joy.   That’s all it would take.  

Once again I am trying to understand my good fortune.  You’d think it would be enough to have friends like Craig and his family but then they turn around and bestow a gift like this on you.  This was an honor and a privilege for me in every way and as soon as we start those daily Santa Claus parades I’ll be there.  I know the McRae’s would be there too.