Happy first day of October! October is a special month for me. In 25 days (on the 26th), I will hit the 52-year mark. I remember when I thought that 30 was old! Even as I grow older, I still enjoy celebrating my birthday with the special people in my life. Also in October, the first Saturday is a celebration in Buhler, called the Frolic. I grew up in the nearby city of Buhler, a quiet community. However, Frolic Day is anything but quiet. Buhler comes alive with music, a parade, streets full of vendors, and food trucks with lots of good food. I remember loving the Frolic growing up. I still do. Although the city of Hutchinson is offering a Rod Run car show and Fall festival, the call of my small town drew me in.
The Buhler High School Band, along with the middle school band, led the parade. They played the national anthem, and they had a good sound. I'm proud of my high school band. Although I now work for the Hutchinson school district, deep down inside I am a Crusader! The parade is famous for being a double parade, which means that at the end of the route, they turn around and travel down the other side of the street. Pretty cool. Following the parade is entertainment, featuring a dog show and singing groups from the high school and middle school. My friend Kim and I were talking about how the music has changed over the years. It's a bit different due to differing directors over the years, but the sound is still good.
Foodwise, I pretty much behaved myself. Food trucks included Chunky Chet's (cookies), Pronto Pup, a hot dog truck, burgers, and other etc. I'm sure that they would have had more vendors, but many of them were committed to the Hutchinson event. As the years go by, I see fewer familiar faces, and the ones that are familiar are growing older. I really enjoy seeing old friends and chatting/catching up.
Before leaving for the day, there was one place I needed to visit. My grade school playground. While most of what I can remember of Grade school was not good, the playground was the recess area where I loved to be. 100% of the playground is different now. If you're a BGS kid from any era, I'll paint you a picture of what I remember, and see how it measures up to your memories. The entire south side of the school grounds is now tennis courts. I remember having a wide open space with swings, slides, monkey bars, and lots of room to run. All of that was gone. Or....? I walked to one side of the fence surrounding the tennis courts, and there was a set of monkey bars that were there when I was a kid! They were old, weathered, almost completely bare of paint, but there they were. They were a lot shorter than I remember. I recall having to jump to catch the top bar. Now, the top bar is at my shoulder. On the far east side is a set of trees that were there when I was a kid. I remember having a "fort" in those trees. I stood in those trees and thought of the few friends I hung with there. The east playground is still there, but completely different. A couple of the monkey bars that I played on as a kid were still there, but they have been moved. I was glad to see they were still there. The blacktop is now cement, and the tetherball courts are no more. I saw a few stray balls on the field, so I kicked them closer toward the building, so they might not be so easily seen by someone who might want to walk off with them. I love progress, but sometimes it can be sad that you can't see things as you remember them. I walked back to my car, and felt as though I had been lost in time. I had many memories flood through me as I toured. The whole walk was about 20 minutes, but it felt like an hour.
Memories. That's what keeps me coming back to Buhler. I've often thought about moving back, getting a job at BGS, wouldn't that be a trip? Until that time, my whole life is in Hutch, and it wouldn't be practical. But in the meantime, I'll keep coming back. Kudos to the Frolic committee for their tireless work in making this annual event as fun as it can be. So, Buhler, thanks for the memories. I'm sure I'll see you again soon!
Thanks for reading, and God bless!
