"Sugar Sugar"----Dateline Normal, Mn.---Homecoming comes to Normal---Fiction

(Ed.note. Any resemblance betweeen this fictional story and the real world is purely coincidental. The Blue and Gold colors of the Normal Nuggets is not meant to offend the Chicago Bears. The school fight song has been omitted because of strong language.)

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The Last days of fabulous weather recently prompted me to drive back in time to the annual homecoming celebration in my favorite getaway town, way up north, on Hwy 10 near the land of Lake Woebegon, in northern Minnesota,---- Normal, Mn. . As I came into town, I noted the banners and decorated stores announcing the weeklong celebration. The local football team, The Normal Nuggets, were on every poster. The team used to be called the Normal Panthers, but because of the possibility of giving offense to the panther lobby, the name was changed to a more wholesome title.

I had hoped to chat with my old friend, Herman, the country boy lawyer in the local coffee shop, but it was so crowded with fans all decked out in blue and orange--- those were the frozen tundra colors of Normal---- and they all were singing the local school song.

So, I thought I would just ask a question of the whole restaurant.

"When does the parade start?", I asked.

Everyone in the restaurant just turned and stared.

"We don't have a parade," they all said in unison.

"Well, years ago we did. But then we felt that just as we should change the name of the "Panthers" to the "Nuggets" it would also be healthy to stop throwing candy from all the floats. One thing led to another. Pretty soon, we just decided to hand out candy at the school and just forget the parade. After all. This way kids don't miss any classroom time. It's just what's best for the entire community. "

"And what about the bands?", I asked.

One of the guys responded. "Yes, the music was important. We thought the kids would miss that. We just asked that each child quietly hum the song, "Sugar, Sugar" as they ate their candy. Turns out the kids really like the song. They don't even miss the bands."

It sure is good to be back in good old Evansville. Where we don't have blue and orange as our school colors. Where we are the "Blue Devils" and not the "Nuggets." And where even if we can't throw candy, we still can hum quietly my favorite song----"Sugar, Sugar."

Alleluia.