The Prride Parade and festival was last weekend. It was kind of disappointing this year, and I have been trying to figure out if it is me, or the event....... I would like to say it was the event, or the folks that put it together, but I'm pretty sure it was me. In fact, I know it was me.
I injured my foot earlier that week so I tried to limit my walking. Usually I walk from the end of the route to the beginning, and stop to say hi and get hugs along the way. At the beginning of the parade route I sit with my sober friends and just before the parade finishes I start walking back to the festival.
This year I stopped in the middle and hung out with some of the girls I dance with. It was a quite group that didn't get out of their seats much or make a lot of noise. When the parade was over we all started walking up to the festival. It is really difficult to get a group of women to walk consistently in the same direction, at the same pace, to the same location. I started falling behind with a group that had to make a stop at the portable toilets. Trying to get them in and out and heading back up the hill to the festival was proving impossible.
While we were waiting someone, I don't quite know who, brought out a pott brownie. They all started sharing and complaining that whoever made it didn't grind up the pott well enough. I was so disappointed to have to see this. I really had no idea that these women did drugs. There were all athletes (not that it makes any difference), and I really only thought they did the social drinking thing.
We finished walking up the hill, and got sucked into one of the parties on the way to the festival. I went in to use a private restroom, but didn't stay for the food. I was already bored with the using, and the length of time it took to walk a quarter mile. I said goodbye to the girls and continued on to the festival alone.
I walked the festival, did a little dancing and went home. It has been a week, and I am still disappointed at seeing the pott brownie. After all this time I still feel uncomfortable around drugs. It's like getting too close to a hot flame. Next year I will have to walk the entire parade route so I can sit with my sober friends at the beginning.