What Did I Say

Inspirational song: The Syncopated Clock (Leroy Anderson)

When I was invited to the Citadel football game at the beginning of the season, I was told there would be a date later when the silent drill team would perform. Today was that day, their homecoming game, and I was fortunate to be invited back for this day as well. We spent the whole day there, from the silent drill to the review of cadets on the parade grounds, to a very exciting game, only their second win of the season. I heard that well known members of Congress were in attendance, but I never caught sight of either of them.

Watching the drill team high step through elaborate four-person squad flashes brought back a wonderful memory of the first time I ever marched in formation. We had been taught in sixth grade band hiw to play our instruments by the town fixture, the band director who had been teaching for ever. He directed my second year, the seventh and eighth grade band. But for my third year, he had semi-retired and we had a new director. The legend came back at the very end of my eighth grade, to give us an afternoon of marching instruction, as much to hook us on the process as to weed out those who didn't want or need to sign up in high school. It didn't take an hour before his skilled direction had us making a Texas A&M flash turn (or so he called it). We thought we were hot stuff, I tell you now. That legend fully retired a couple years later, and we performed a farewell show entirely of his favorite composer, Leroy Anderson. I can't hear Sleigh Ride or Syncopated Clock without picturing that broad smile on his face.

Tonight is the bonfire Halloween. I feel great about my costume: I papier mached a "hat" with big pointy ears, painted reddish brown. I wore a white shirt and my new rusty orange cashmere sweater from my birthday. I painted the tip of my nose black and a white "mustache" with little black dots. I did a perfect "what does the fox say" at a party of people who had never seen the video. I guess my cleverness was wasted tonight. (Am I properly modest?)