Things I didn’t have to do in 1980’s High School Marching Band–
A List

Make a dot book
March the same show every week
Perform in more than one marching contest
Wash my own uniform (School sent all the wool uniforms to the dry cleaners together)
Worry about smelling like a wet dog after football games (everyone did)
Sell a different thing every week.
“Physical conditioning” workouts and group yoga

Worry about my cell phone sitting on the bleacher during halftime.
Learn to march with a mask on / Play a horn with a mask on
Take a daily COVID-19 test
March in 4th of July Parades (Way too hot in the South)
Clutch my instrument to my chest
As I run to avoid bullets
from the guy playing sniper with a high-powered, semi-automatic weapon
at a patriotic parade.

It was a simpler time.