We Needed Some Irish Luck

Over my Spring Break and on St. Patrick's Day I thought it would be fun to take my daughter to the much hyped Ancient Order of Hibernians' Parade in Dogtown in St. Louis. The Ancient Order of Hibernians in America was organized in the U.S. in the 19th century in New York City by Irish immigrants who joined together to protect the Catholic Church. In Ireland it was founded in the late 17th century not only to protect the Catholic Church, but to also preserve the Catholic clergy who's lives were threatened under the penal laws. "Hibernia" is Latin for "Ireland". Only practicing Catholic men over the age of 16, and who are Irish by birth or descent, may join. By many it is said to be the real Patty's Day parade, above and beyond the popular one in downtown. I was fearful now, however, that Alex and I were preparing to go watch old men with green beanies on their heads and loaded 16 to a float pulled by a tractor and waving to a crowd of their wives. Either way, it was going to be the first Irish parade ever for the both of us, and we were ready to green up and get out of the house. Alex was looking most forward to getting candy, and in fact we have a jar full of candy that dates back to soon after her birth four years ago. But it's the idea of getting new candy thrown to her, like an unwrapped, unregulated Christmas in March, and aren't we all like that? Of course for our first Irish parade we had to wear green, and it was set to be the hottest day of the year thus far--a balmy near-80 degree day, with the parade starting at 11:30. I was able to get Alex to wear a green summer dress that my parents picked up for her in Mexico while on a cruise, explaining that we had to wear green that day, that it was Ancient Hibernian Law, and this was the only thing that would be cool enough....like, weather cool. People who know Alex couldn't believe the pictures when they saw them, because she would sooner try to walk around as a green Leprechaun than wear a dress, but she didn't think about that one, and now that I do, that would have been kind of fun. I of course had to wear my green men's vintage pants (also see The Garden To My Flowers)--I believe they really were made for that day. My wife thinks that the only reason I wanted to go to the parade in the first place was so that I could wear the green machine, but I insist this is only partly true :) I paired them with a modern white with green stripes polo style shirt, knowing that the flowered shirt I wore them with last time would just be too hot....like, weather hot. I grabbed my bag chair and Alex's Diego folding chair, and we were on our way. I had heard parking would be tough, so I illegally parked in a familiar Walgreen's parking lot about what I estimated to be a mile away from the parade, and we began hoofing it. About five minutes in we were hot and Alex was already asking me when we would be there, and I started noticing some legal parking places. I could have kicked myself for not driving in a little further, and told her we'd have to remember those for next year. I ended up letting my left arm, right arm, and Alex's legs take turns in transporting her to our final destination about a mile and a half later. The hills were brutal, the sidewalks in shambles, and the streets tight with parked cars, but we followed the crowd to the first sighting of what looked like was the parade. There were people all over the lawns, all over the rooftops, all over the backs of trucks, and all over the streets, blocking our view. All I could really see were strands of beads flying in the air, as if we were at Mardi Gras, which I thought was strange. A copy-cat parade with beads? This, paired with many foul-mouthed drunk twenty-somethings, and I was getting a little nervous. Alex didn't need to keep drilling the fact into my head that she wanted candy for me to make the decision that it was about time to go. I put her on my shoulders for a little bit so that she could see the tops of old white heads, but after 20 minutes and a bribe to Walgreen's candy aisle, we decided to make the trek back to the car. On our hilly route back, my arms + Alex got more of a work out than the first time, not to mention juggling the chairs, realizing early on that I was the only dufus carrying them. The highlight for me was seeing a man carrying a blitzed and near-passed out woman, cradling her like a baby as he stumbled down the sidewalk, partly from being inebriated and partly from the weight of this 140 pound woman, with her friend close behind looking concerned. It was funny, thinking of the hills he had to climb with her, but also that they were going towards the parade! Now that is dedication to the Hibernians! Alex did not see this, but I was prepared to answer, "That man is carrying her because she's tired of walking, just like you!" After much stopping and crying that she couldn't go on, Alex and I finished our mile and a half walk back, sweaty and tired, with an empty and air-conditioned Walgreens a welcome sight. I was hoping Alex would go for the chocolate, taking the opportunity after missing out on getting cheap Dum-Dums thrown to her, but instead she picked some flavored wafers that reminded me of the cheap candy I would have picked out as a kid. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree as they say. So this is just my advice for those handful of people who consider going to the Ancient Order of Hibernians Parade, if that's really what it was. If you are going with a friend or two and want to drink the day away and don't mind climbing hills and carrying your friend around whilst you hack up your breakfast on the way to a parade of old Catholic guys that you won't be able to see anyway, then this may be the time of your life. But if you don't fit into this category and you really want to see this parade, then you might have better luck finding Irish in your ancestry, becoming Catholic, becoming a man, and getting on a float with the other 16 farts, in that order, than actually seeing the parade. I may do the former one day, but will never ever do the latter again.