Sunday was the Lincoln Tattoo. After CF classes at church, my little brother and I changed into uniforms and waited until it was time to go (yes, we walked around the church in colonial getup and people stared). Then we got in the van and headed out to Lincoln. The Lincoln Tattoo (or Lincoln Salute) was basically an event where eight corps this year got together and performed for each other and for the public, whoever wanted to turn up. We drilled and it was fun and our director was pleased with us.
Monday was Patriots Day. Patriots Day in Lexington is a really big deal. It begins with the mobs of people who arrived at the green before 4:30 in the morning to brave the chill and see the reenactment of the Battle of Lexington. (One of our fife instructors, Mark, is with the Lexington Minutemen. Every year he gets shot and killed by a British soldier.) So my family got up at 3:30 in the morning and went in to see it.
Then, there's a morning parade. My corps is in it, and we march maybe half a mile tops. The WDJs, my corps, march behind the Lexington Minutemen. (The Lexington Minutemen are not a musical group. So they've sort of adopted the WDJs, and we help them represent Lexington.) Then everyone disperses to one of the various places in the town where the Boy Scouts and Lexington Catholic Youth Group are serving pancake breakfasts. There are booths, and places all down Main Street selling balloons and stuff, and preparing for the afternoon parade. There's a five-mile road race in the late morning, and it starts with a few of the Lexington Minutemen firing muskets, not pistols.
Finally, the afternoon parade kicks off at 2:00. We were tenth in line, and marched two miles. It was sore on my throat this year because I was calling the songs for the Junior WDJs. However, it was a good time, and we played "Yankee Doodle" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Rakes of Mallow" and "Lakes of Sligo" and more and more and more...
So today, Tuesday, I have a speech for Public Speaking. I'm not wearing a colonial-issue uniform, not blowing really hard into a wooden tube with holes and a cork, and not marching through the streets thinking "Left, left, left right left." What I am doing is thinking about our muster coming up in two weeks. Another really busy weekend.
Monday was Patriots Day. Patriots Day in Lexington is a really big deal. It begins with the mobs of people who arrived at the green before 4:30 in the morning to brave the chill and see the reenactment of the Battle of Lexington. (One of our fife instructors, Mark, is with the Lexington Minutemen. Every year he gets shot and killed by a British soldier.) So my family got up at 3:30 in the morning and went in to see it.
Then, there's a morning parade. My corps is in it, and we march maybe half a mile tops. The WDJs, my corps, march behind the Lexington Minutemen. (The Lexington Minutemen are not a musical group. So they've sort of adopted the WDJs, and we help them represent Lexington.) Then everyone disperses to one of the various places in the town where the Boy Scouts and Lexington Catholic Youth Group are serving pancake breakfasts. There are booths, and places all down Main Street selling balloons and stuff, and preparing for the afternoon parade. There's a five-mile road race in the late morning, and it starts with a few of the Lexington Minutemen firing muskets, not pistols.
Finally, the afternoon parade kicks off at 2:00. We were tenth in line, and marched two miles. It was sore on my throat this year because I was calling the songs for the Junior WDJs. However, it was a good time, and we played "Yankee Doodle" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Rakes of Mallow" and "Lakes of Sligo" and more and more and more...
So today, Tuesday, I have a speech for Public Speaking. I'm not wearing a colonial-issue uniform, not blowing really hard into a wooden tube with holes and a cork, and not marching through the streets thinking "Left, left, left right left." What I am doing is thinking about our muster coming up in two weeks. Another really busy weekend.
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