Merle and Macy’s Parade
I was once again chastised this evening for not blogging in a couple of days. This past weekend was good. The pain continues to be subdued. I am really only taking the slow-releasing morphine now. I am able to lay down without pain and I’m sleeping; all in all, this is a marked improvement over last couple of week. Thus, I haven’t really had much to blog about, but chastise I’ve been, and so I will attempt to make amends.
As I have mentioned previously, this coming Thursday I will be participating as a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. I have been asked on several occasions how this came to be and so I thought I would tell you the story.
I have often looked up to my brother Sid (and have mentioned him here in the past). Let me just say that this may be a somewhat inaccurate history, but the important facts are generally accurate. Way back when, Sid was hired as seasonal help at Macy’s. He did such a great job that he was hired full-time and quickly impressed management enough that he became manager of his department. Sid quickly (or so it seemed) moved up the corporate ladder at Federated Department Stores (parent corporation of Macy’s) and eventually, when he left the company, he was a step or two beneath Vice-President and was in charge of Macy’s intranet.
While working at Macy’s Sid began to also participate in the Macy’s Day parade. At first he was a balloon holder (one of the many folk who hang onto the ropes underneath the balloons to keep them from flying away). He then moved up to balloon captain (the person who tells the balloon holders what to do) and then balloon pilot (the person who watches the weather conditions and tells the balloon captain what to do). Sid was even the co-director of the entire parade one year (it was pretty cool seeing him interviewed on network television). Since leaving Macy’s though, Sid has continued to participate in the parade. Luckily, he has enough stroke at Macy’s that he was able to get me the gig as a clown in this years parade.
There you have it! “How Merle got into the Macy’s Parade!”
Early on in my battle with cancer, I thought that if this is my last Thanksgiving (and I hope that it’s not), I wanted to do something pretty cool. I think being in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is pretty damn cool.
I was recently texting with Sid and I told him that I have been feeling the need to have more contact with my family. Thus, we are going up to New Jersey this week for 5 days of immersion with the Hamburger Family. Similarly, the other side of my family gets together each year to celebrate Hannukah (that’s right, they get together for an event called Hamburger Hannukah). While my entire family cannot go up for financial reasons, I will be flying up to represent. This will be the first time I have attended Hamburger Hannukah in at least five years. I’m looking forward to seeing my other side of the family for the same reasons as I am looking forward to Thanksgiving; if this is my last holiday season, I don’t want to be left wishing I had gone this year.
I realize this type of thinking is somewhat maudlin and, as I have said, I do not expect that this WILL be my last holiday season, but it couldn’t hurt to be safe.
Merle
I’m soooo impressed that you will be in the parade! And so glad that you get to spend time with family. Let us know what you will look like as a clown (I’m assuming they’ll dress you up) and where to look for you.
Merle, I was really thinking that this was the blog entry wherein you would describe the code gesture (call it a secret sign if you want to) that we could use to distinguish you from the other pirate themed clowns in the parade. So, what will it be?
I am so glad I will see you on the 13th in Roseland! Just read the Thanksgiving views and I am proud of your fortitude! We know where the pleasures are and can go after them.