First Performance

I am setting outside of Compuware Arena on an absolutely beautiful day. I can hear the sing song of birds in the distance, the light one far away broken by the short deep long one nearby. I can smell the moist earth. Today is spring. I start in my car with the windows down, I know I won't be here for long.

In the distance I hear a sound, the sound of history. It is a group of fifes playing the Star spangle banner. My first thought is not of Revolutionary Era soldiers playing in the first part of our country's history, although I get there. I am brought back a couple decades to the Plymouth Fife and Drum Corps. This same group which my brother was a part of, and I was a tag a long to.

I leave the red van, locking it behind me, and walk around the building to the music. Looking for the big white truck. I see it and then all the kids. The drummers ave started playing a steady beat, which I still associate with being on the move, but between songs. Thump, thump, thump. I can't help but walk to it.

At first, I don't see Savannah. From this distance they all just look like varying heights of the same kids. Drummer, nope that's not her. Fifer, nope. Then I see them the circle of kids just behind the truck. I see the muskets, with fixed bayonets. I see the halberd and mace. None of these will be her, this is the first performance of her first year. She will have a flag and probably not the American flag.

I when I spot her, she is first being helped by some of the older kids, she is the last to take the cover off her flag. When she does, it is yellow. The flag she has brought home to practice with. I call it the "Don't tread on me" flag, though she tells me it is called the Gaston. Every time I say it, I say it like the villain in Beauty and the Beast, she corrects me with a decidedly more American pronunciation.

I walk up and ask her if she has time for a picture. She does, but gets that blend of proud to be asked and embarrassed to be asked in front of her new friends. I take a quick picture, then let her be. I am proud that she has carried this on, even if I was just the tag a long. When asked, she says she wanted to this because her Uncle Justin did this, so she can really be his favorite. I tell her that he carried the snake flag too.

I take one last picture before it is time for the to go not the arena and I stand outside listening.