A Tribute at the Parade

By Shana Karn, owner of Shots by Shana Photography and Co-Owner of The Second Knob Gifts and Antiques, 129 North St. Dryden

It was damp and cool; much cooler than one would expect for a Saturday in June…even in Central New York. Before reaching Dryden, my expectation was that the weather would deter parade-watchers and I foolishly believed that I would have no problem parking very close to the parade route, which was justification for having an extra cup of coffee before leaving home.

This was one of those times that, as I pulled into a parking spot two blocks from the parade route, I shook my head – angry at myself for forgetting that Dryden doesn’t work that way.

Dryden is a tight knit community—come hell or high water (and I think we’ve had a little bit of both).  Tragedy and loss only serve to bring the community closer together and make them stronger. A little drizzle on a cool, gray and gloomy day doesn’t stand a chance against a community that wants to show their support for area dairy farmers.

Since we put our cow out in front of the shop a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the Dairy Day parade. And, having spent a lot of time photographing weddings and doing studio sessions for senior portraits, it was nice to be outside at a community event—especially in a community I feel “at home” in.  I know a lot of the people watching the parade and a lot of people in the parade and being there is like comfort food for someone who doesn’t actually reside in Dryden anymore. I am lucky though because, despite not living here anymore, the shop I own with my Dad and my photography studio are both here so I am, somewhat by default, still able to refer to myself as a community member.

This year, after the Veterans, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, 4-H Members, Kiwanis ball players, soccer players, Irish Step Dancers, political parties, the Dryden Beautification Brigade and dozens of other organizations made their way along the parade route, our community paid tribute to Jack Scholes, who passed away unexpectedly in April.  Jack owned a tractor service in Groton and, judging from the number of tractor-driving participants in the tribute—if you owned a tractor, you knew Jack. Now, for many people, a long line-up of primarily John Deere tractors isn’t a big deal. However, when you take into consideration that many of the tribute participants are actually farmers who work their farms, sleep and eat (usually, in that order), then you realize it is a BIG DEAL. It was a public display of respect for someone who obviously deserved it; who made a positive impact on a lot of people and who is someone our community will miss. It was a reminder that none of us really knows what kind of impact we have on one another—but that, in our tight-knit community, we DO impact each others’ lives and to do so positively is the best way to do it.

Pictures of the Dryden Dairy Day Parade are available at: www.shotsbyshana.com/drydendairydayparade