The 4th of July! Already!
Before I get into our day I want to extend a Happy Birthday wish to our good friend Judy in Delaware. All the fireworks you'll see tonight my friend are for YOU! Hope you have a great day!
We were up and out early so that we could see the 4th of July parade in downtown Gillette. The Escapees had a float in the parade which was the Escapee logo of a house on wheels. Joe and Kay Peterson sat on the float since they are, after all, the founders of this organization.
It was a warm day and halfway through the parade when I went to stand under a tree in the shade. I struck up a conversation with the lady standing next to me as I noticed her red, white and blue ribbon that all first time Escapade attendees were required to wear.
A short way into our conversation she told me that I was the first person THIS WEEK that had taken the time to talk with her and her husband. AHA (!)...so we aren't the only ones! She went on to say that they had attended seminars and were all but ignored, at the ice cream social they had tried to make conversation but it seemed that once people saw their "newbie" ribbon they might as well have been invisible. I don't get it. We found them to be a friendly pair and we are glad we met them. On the walk back to the trucks when the parade was over they invited us to dinner and to watch the fireworks afterwards with them. We gladly accepted. So we made new friends with Pam and Vere and this is a couple that we feel in just the short time we've been with them that they'll be a couple that we certainly will keep in touch with and hope to meet up with again down the road.
Back at the house I was sitting outside and got to thinking about this past week and wondered if Ray and Barb experienced the same thing. So I went over to their place, they invited me in and after we got settled I asked, "So tell me, what do you think of your first Escapade?" I saw the look pass between them. They seemed reluctant to say anything so I got the ball rolling. I told them Bob and I were disappointed and about the couple we had met this morning. That's all it took and the floodgates opened! Wow! They feel the same we do! Ray said that he felt like he had a big L on his forehead that stood for loser when people saw his "newbie" ribbon. They told me they attended a lunch with one group and no one talked with them! As "newbies" you would think the oldtimers would try to include you, wouldn't you? Ahhh, but they weren't in the clique.
I could give you example after example of things the six of us experienced this week and I know we aren't the only ones. Bob talked with two fellows (newbies) and they and their wives were having similar experiences. I just don't get it. Maybe this Escapade thing has just gotten too big and way too commericalized.
The six of us have all agreed, this is our first and LAST Escapade. We won't do this again.
I'm off my soapbox now.
We drove over to Pam and Vere's for dinner and had the most delicious fried chicken! I wish I had been there to see how she made it, there had to be a secret ingredient somewhere. In addition we had potato salad and the dish I brought and a veggie tray. Bob didn't have room for much else because he kept going back for the fried chicken, its a good thing Pam hadn't learned to cook for two yet as she is still in the habit of cooking for the crowd she had at home.
It soon came time for the fireworks. What a display the town of Gillette put on! Of course it was at the CamPlex so we had ringside seats just outside of the rigs.
It was a very nice 4th of July for us. We made new friends, had a great dinner and saw a very good fireworks display. Yep, a very nice 4th of July!
5 comments:
Man, this is a bummer blog. Debbie and I are/were so looking forward to attending the Escapades next year that I am now rethinking it. I do not want to be the odd man out and I do not like being ignored.
Joezilla
Just wanted to comment - David and I went in to this Escapade on Sat morning and had to leave Sun afternoon for 'work', but in the 24 hours we were there we met lots of friendly people! True, our next door neighbors weren't very friendly, but others on the row were, and we talked to some great people at the exibition building, including getting a hug from Angie Carr and meeting and getting a hug from both Kay and Bud Peterson. We met and exchanged emails with several couples and had a great time...we will definitely do it again when we are NOT newbies :)
I'm sorry that your experience was not the best. I greeted and visited with so many "first-timers" that I figured they were probably tired of hearing friendly greetings from "old-timers", like me. It is always a joy to see people experience their first Escapade (this was my fifth). I wish we had run into one another, so you could have had a warm greeting. I hope you will reconsider and try another Escapade. This one was different for than in the past because we did not socialize as much at the campground (just too busy going to seminars, entertainment, etc.!).
This was my third and probably my last Escapade. I love meeting old friends and making new ones and that did happen. But I found very few sessions that I wanted to attend...the ones I needed were in the Boot Camp and I couldn't justify the cost for the one or two classes that would work. I will get them at one of the RV Life on Wheels next year.
The Escapade has grown too commercial for me and there are too many other ways to meet friends on the road. I will always be an Escapee....but that doesn't mean I have to attend Escapades.
I was SOOOOO glad to meet you and wish we had had more time to chat. Same with Ray & Barb....
Thanks Snook for remembering my birthday, since that is the last one were counting.
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