Ryan & Brennish Thomson

Marching with Fire Trucks

by Ryan Thomson

I  play fiddle quite a bit for contra dances in New Hampshire. At one dance, a women approached me and asked if I would like to perform for a town fair in Kensington, New Hampshire. I agreed to perform and showed up on the appointed day, fiddle in hand. Kensington is in a rural area and the planned celebration involved a half mile parade from a large grassy field and down the highway towards the center of town.

I was asked to march in the parade and sent to the assembly area in the field. There I was sandwiched between the high school marching band and the fire department. The marching band was quite loud, and I figured that if I lagged far enough behind them, spectators might actually hear the sound of my fiddle. This ploy worked for a short time until the entire fire department pulled up behind me with all sirens blaring at full volume. This went on for the duration of the parade.

As I marched by, town residents waved to me. The things we do to make a living.

Written by Ryan Thomson, 1996