Our Town's Lovely Luau in the Rain

Lola had a great time tonight at our town's annual Luau, thrown by our Utility Company for all of us, its peasant subjects. They truck in a whole bunch of sand and smooth it over the pavement of the beautiful park, deep in the lordly pines. All the little kids in our town (whose parents will bring them, but that's another story) race out to build sandcastles and play in the fantastic (and hygienic) water fountain play system that was turned on specially for tonight. Water restrictions have prevented its operation on any normal days. The children love it. To see a Southern small town with a painful history of racism come out all together to celebrate on the sand is a joyful thing. I think our newspaper photographer got some good shots! In the Southern small town in which I spent my teen years in the 1980s, every public festival was an occasion in which the ugly reality of social segregation would manifest itself, as white and black celebrants gave each other a wide berth, and even acted out mutual wordless hostilities. Tonight, as I headed toward the crowd on the sand dance floor with Lola in my arms, introvert Josh said anxiously, "Don't go join in, they're doing some sort of dance . . . with moves." I looked at him askance: "Yes, it's the Electric Slide . . . everyone knows the Electric Slide." About 50 women of all different ages, skin colors and shapes did the Electric Slide together, very seriously. Anyone who knows the South knows that this ritual happens constantly here at public festivals (probably not at Renaissance or Scottish festivals). I don't know if it's common practice elsewhere in the country. Later it started raining, which was very refreshing after the intense heat of the day, but people started drifting away. We went after about 15 minutes of fun on the sand in the rain, talking with acquaintances. Once again, Josh admitted that I was right in bringing us out for the evening, and that he can be a stay-at-home curmudgeon. It was the perfect end to a perfect Friday night--K