I remember laying down in the outfield as the arguing escalated on the pitchers mound between twin brothers as to which one was going to pitch and who was going to catch. The sky was a bright blue as I lay there shading my eyes with my glove. My senses filled with the smell of the leather , the green grass and the warm sun.......Memorial day...the Indy 500 , the gravelly voice on the radio of Johnny Most describing how Bill Russell was being physically mauled on his way to yet another championship.  Memorial Day when I was a kid was as simple as most things are when your young...it was summer.

Now with a car at my disposal I would look forward to a long weekend away from work. Time to go to the beach...get a tan......hide a beer from the life guard as Scarborough ....talk some trash with friends.

Years later I would invite everyone over to a front row seat of the town parade. We seemed to know everyone in it. Kayla knew the kids in the band...Jo knew the kids and teachers from her time working at the elementary school and I knew all of the politicians as the strained walking up the small incline near our house by what somebody once described was the " unofficial grand marshals " of the parade because we knew everyone who came by.

Now I ride a slow and quiet on my bike ....past the flags...past the memorials....past the family and friends who served our country. The Veterans Cemetery is what the day is about for me now. It is a time for me to say a simple thank you to all of those who are buried there and did what they had to do so that I could live my life and make some memories.