Last week I asked if Atlanta Metblogs readers would be at the parade, and by the looks of it, they were.

Gravy! I didn’t expect (especially given the lack of snarled traffic) to find people lined up 5 and 10 deep along Peachtree in every imaginable outfit from civilian to Tiny Spidy to fairies. That’s what I get for not having expectations.

The parade begin with the obligatory banner and a few costumes, but got my attention when none other than Ponch rolled by on two wheels in all his denim glory, my reaction to which was a source of great amusement to my parade companion. It got better from there. If you still have eardrums that work, it’s because you weren’t next to me when Uhura (who I have dubbed the Grandmother of Bluetooth) or the Cardboard Storm Troopers went by.

What I found so surprisingly romantic about this event was the willingness of not only the participants but the spectators to let themselves go a little. To relax, and to laugh, and to let it all hang out and to embrace their inner children and to cheer wildly for those doing the same. To not give a shit for an hour or for a weekend what anyone thought of them, or their outfits, or what they do in their free time. There was an energy that hung around in the air after the parade that I can’t explain other than to say it smelled/tasted/felt a lot like childhood…and I wish I could have bottled a bit of it for sale/retirement.

You won’t get that vibe at a 4th of July parade, where everyone is overly concerned about having the best seat for the fireworks and stressing out about parking and weather and blah blah blah. This crowd just was and for the duration of the event, I just was, too.

My full collection of weak point and shoot captures from the parade can be found here.

(this blob of text is also posted under a different title at Atlanta Metblogs)