New Year's Beach Balls for Everyone, Maybe

Happy New Year!! I hope you're like me and had a fun holiday break. You probably have a few stories from the time away from the regular routine. Let me tell you about this wild scramble involving tons of beach balls!

I ended up at Pier Park, Panama City Beach, Florida for their New Year's Beach Ball Drop. It was a huge party with live bands and fireworks. A local news station estimated that over 40,000 people packed the streets. There was also a much earlier family event with an 8pm ball drop and fireworks. What a great idea giving parent s the option for letting kids soak up the excitement and not have to keep them up all night.

All along the street there were rows of suspended large nets holding thousands of small beach balls. As the the drop approached everyone gathered near these nets. Then, giant beach balls were released, bouncing of hands as they floated down the street. Just wait until the thousands of beach balls are released and bounce everywhere, that will be cool! So, I thought.

8pm hits and the beach balls are dropped and soaked up like quick sand by the crowd below. Yeah, other than a few bouncing them back up, everyone grabbed onto those beach balls like they were stuffed with money!

Then again, I understand a kids excitement to get one, much like a catching foul ball at a baseball game. Maybe cut some slack to the adults grabbing one as a souvenir of the night. But, not for the lady who had a dozen in her arms. That mad scramble included this wild process of letting the air out just to be able to control so many. What is she doing, collecting birthday presents for the year for all her grandbabies? Who needs to keep that many? Check eBay. C'mon lady. Lol.

Below is a photo of all the hands reaching up to the giant beach ball with the nets of balls in the background.