Downtown holiday parade this Saturday

[Red Arrow]

I just realized this thread took 13 posts to go from the DT Holiday Parade to Charo on Loveboat.

I think at least 2 angels should get their wings for that accomplishment.

For holding it off that long or getting it there that quickly?

[rdj]

Going to try to make the parade this year after several I've missed.

Should point out that I have never heard anyone in Sand Springs refer to themselves as Sand Springsite as in the article. May be accurate, just not common. They are better known as Sandites.

That's a bad misstep, they refer to themselves as Sandites.

[jacobi]

My favortie part of the whole name change thing for the parade was the attention it got on the Daily show.  Jon Stewart screamed the word Tulsa 3-4 times.  It was great.  Tulsa came out look like a reasonable place.

[custosnox]

Well, looks like I've got myself stuck in a nice little sh!tstorm over all of this.  My daughter is in the Young Marines.  Her mother has custody.  This weekend, however, is my visitation weekend.  Turns out that the Young Marines are in the "Christmas Parade" in Southern Hills.  I refuse to give this stupid event any of my support because it is just starting a bunch of stupidity over nothing.  So now I'm in the crappy situation of not allowing my daughter to go, thus creating all kinds of stupidity with her mother, and likely causing a big court battle because she will keep her from me for my holiday visitation (which starts Christmas eve), or I can go, drop her off, and leave, and not have a show of supporting my daughter, or I can go against what I believe and be there and support her and be a nice little hypocrite. 

I wonder what it would take to get an occupy group to join me down there to protest it...

[AquaMan]

The time she is a young daughter is precious and short. Be a Dad. She needs your support.

You can still dislike the whole idea later.

Or, you tell me to p#ss off and that's okay too.

[Red Arrow]

How old is your daughter?  Old enough to help decide whether she wants to go?

Young Marines are age 8 thru High School according to a link on Google.  That's a pretty wide range.

[custosnox]

How old is your daughter?  Old enough to help decide whether she wants to go?

Young Marines are age 8 thru High School according to a link on Google.  That's a pretty wide range.

She is 10.  Something else to keep in mind is that it seems that every time it is my weekend here lately it seems that there is an event that I'm supposed to be there to support her for.  I've had to rearrange my weekends around this for months, yet it suddenly becomes optional when she is with her mother.  It's a whole can of worms that I'm trying to work my through on this.

[Conan71]

She is 10.  Something else to keep in mind is that it seems that every time it is my weekend here lately it seems that there is an event that I'm supposed to be there to support her for.  I've had to rearrange my weekends around this for months, yet it suddenly becomes optional when she is with her mother.  It's a whole can of worms that I'm trying to work my through on this.

+1 with AquaMan and you are welcome to tell me to get stuffed too, but allow me to impart some advice first:

I hate to tell you this, Custo, expect another eight years of this.  Grit your teeth and do it because, trust me, kids have a fantastic ability to remind you of every single event you ever missed, yet can't seem to remember the ones you were at.

I had to deal with gymnastics and cheer cutting through all sorts of "mandated" visitation time and yes, it gets frustrating.  Fortunately, their mother and I got along pretty well and she was really good about trying to make sure I wasn't getting the short end of the stick as much as she could.  As kids get older and more active, it's pretty hard to rigidly observe visitation schedules without screwing the kids out of their activities, or weekend time with friends.

Do yourself and your kids a favor, avoid further court proceedings at all costs.  My youngest just went off to college this fall, so it's all still pretty fresh. 

[custosnox]

+1 with AquaMan and you are welcome to tell me to get stuffed too, but allow me to impart some advice first:

I hate to tell you this, Custo, expect another eight years of this.  Grit your teeth and do it because, trust me, kids have a fantastic ability to remind you of every single event you ever missed, yet can't seem to remember the ones you were at.

I had to deal with gymnastics and cheer cutting through all sorts of "mandated" visitation time and yes, it gets frustrating.  Fortunately, their mother and I got along pretty well and she was really good about trying to make sure I wasn't getting the short end of the stick as much as she could.  As kids get older and more active, it's pretty hard to rigidly observe visitation schedules without screwing the kids out of their activities, or weekend time with friends.

Do yourself and your kids a favor, avoid further court proceedings at all costs.  My youngest just went off to college this fall, so it's all still pretty fresh. 

Wouldn't tell ya to get stuffed, I mentioned this here because I'm battling an internal ethical dilemma on this whole situation, and I value the opinions of those on this board.  I just am having a difficult time telling myself that it's okay to go against what I believe is right to support something my child is doing.  Guess I now kind of know how a fundamentalist feels when their kid tells them that they are gay.

[Conan71]

Wouldn't tell ya to get stuffed, I mentioned this here because I'm battling an internal ethical dilemma on this whole situation, and I value the opinions of those on this board.  I just am having a difficult time telling myself that it's okay to go against what I believe is right to support something my child is doing.  Guess I now kind of know how a fundamentalist feels when their kid tells them that they are gay.

Yep, pretty much the same thing, but just because the Young Marines were recruited for the "Christmas" parade and not the "Holiday" parade isn't a reflection about a religious orientation of the Young Marines.  Remember what we all concluded by the changing of the name to "Holiday" parade in downtown?  It's just a name. 

The whole idea is to bring the city together in the spirit of holiday togetherness.  The winter holiday, Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, Winter Solstice- whatever it's called isn't near as much about personal beliefs- IMO.  It's about reflecting as the year nears it's end, sharing, and giving.  Unfortunately some non-Christians think Christians have co-opted the entire holiday season and unfortunately some narrow-minded Christians think the rest of the world is out to take away their personal interpretation of the holiday.

Personally, I don't care what the parade is called.  What concerns me is how much everyone wants to focus on differences rather than similarities- whether it's spiritually, politically, or neighborly.

Sorry for the drift/rant.  Do what you think is right, but I'd highly recommend you go have a What-A-Burger after the south parade with your daughter.  At least, that's what I would do.

[Townsend]

Support your girl.  That's bigger than the stupidity forming a secondary parade.

[custosnox]

Yep, pretty much the same thing, but just because the Young Marines were recruited for the "Christmas" parade and not the "Holiday" parade isn't a reflection about a religious orientation of the Young Marines.  Remember what we all concluded by the changing of the name to "Holiday" parade in downtown?  It's just a name. 

The whole idea is to bring the city together in the spirit of holiday togetherness.  The winter holiday, Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, Winter Solstice- whatever it's called isn't near as much about personal beliefs- IMO.  It's about reflecting as the year nears it's end, sharing, and giving.  Unfortunately some non-Christians think Christians have co-opted the entire holiday season and unfortunately some narrow-minded Christians think the rest of the world is out to take away their personal interpretation of the holiday.

Personally, I don't care what the parade is called.  What concerns me is how much everyone wants to focus on differences rather than similarities- whether it's spiritually, politically, or neighborly.

Sorry for the drift/rant.  Do what you think is right, but I'd highly recommend you go have a What-A-Burger after the south parade with your daughter.  At least, that's what I would do.

I really don't care what it's called either.  It's that I disagree with the message they are sending by having it at the same time on the same day as the downtown one.  And I can't do What-A-Burger.  Got food poisoning from one a long time ago, and the thought of the place makes me sick now

Support your girl.  That's bigger than the stupidity forming a secondary parade.

I just hate the hypocrisy involved on my part by doing so.

[nathanm]

It's that I disagree with the message they are sending by having it at the same time on the same day as the downtown one.

This is indeed the ridiculous part.

FWIW, I'd probably suck it up and go, despite how hard-headed I am about such things.

[BKDotCom]

I'd love to see record attendance at the downtown parade...

[heironymouspasparagus]

Well, looks like I've got myself stuck in a nice little sh!tstorm over all of this.  My daughter is in the Young Marines.  Her mother has custody.  This weekend, however, is my visitation weekend.  Turns out that the Young Marines are in the "Christmas Parade" in Southern Hills.  I refuse to give this stupid event any of my support because it is just starting a bunch of stupidity over nothing.  So now I'm in the crappy situation of not allowing my daughter to go, thus creating all kinds of stupidity with her mother, and likely causing a big court battle because she will keep her from me for my holiday visitation (which starts Christmas eve), or I can go, drop her off, and leave, and not have a show of supporting my daughter, or I can go against what I believe and be there and support her and be a nice little hypocrite.  

I wonder what it would take to get an occupy group to join me down there to protest it...

You gotta be kidding...

Be the hypocrite.  It's ALL about your daughter, and your "needs" are not that pressing to push the issue over this.  Besides, it means you get to enjoy her company just that much more!!  You get to share what is important to her (Young Marines participation).  Ignore the name of it - it just doesn't matter what they call it.  Yeah it's stupid, but hey, it's like that Dustin Hoffman movie - it's ALL BS, you just gotta find the layer of BS you can live with and stay there.

Enjoy her while you can, because this kind of stuff with her ends way too soon!  And you will miss it.  And regret things you missed.


And then I read the rest of the posts after that one and saw everyone ganging up on you....