The Fair It's almost time for 'the fair'. Yep, a time-honored tradition for many years. During my childhood, round the end of September, a very small group of Carnies would bring a fair to my small town. A ferris wheel, the 'Octopus', the 'Scrambler', all favorites as well as the obligatory games of chance, the dunk tank, the kiddie rides, etc etc. Seems the whole county turned out for about four days to attend 'the fair'. My mother referred to it as 'the picnic', as in "let's go to the picnic on Friday night'......no doubt a hold-over from her own youth. She would give us each about $3 which was supposed to last all evening. I'd start begging about an hour after we got there for another dollar. She'd plop herself down at the bingo table which was under a tent and try to enjoy herself while the brothers and I stood in line for the rides. Later on, school activities took me to larger state fairs which put our little "picnic' to shame. The large state fair will be coming soon. We haven't been in a few years, so I'll have to venture out and remember why we haven't kept the tradition ....... Seems we spend more time in the expositions than on the midway. I now much prefer visiting those as opposed to feeling like I'm going to hurl that turkey drumstick I ate while riding the Tilt-a-Whirl, or losing my billfold while tumbling inside The Zipper. One of the rides we all loved as kids, particularly teenagers, was The Himalaya. Known by many names, it was a sort of toboggan ride that flew in a circle over little humps and valleys, with a carney who obviously wanted to be a DJ encouraging us, "Do you wanna go faster!!!??" The music was always 'the coolest' and you hoped to find a willing young lady to accompany you on the ride. I think the last time the wife and I rode "The Himalaya", we spent more time trying to recover from the vertigo that ensued........as opposed to hugging up to one another as the DJ turned the speed up a notch, "Do ya wanna go faster?!" Hell, No. Oh boy, the fair! We will see so many hickeys you'll swear there's an outbreak of purpura nervosa. The joker will taunt me as I walk by the dunk tank, "Hey! Hero? yeah, you with the long hair, Hey, Hippie, I'm talking to you! what'sa matter? you a sissy? think you can try your luck at the ol' Joker tonite?" NO? See ya later, Sissy!" There'll be a concert of some has-been performer, trouble is, I'm now old enough to know all of them! "Look, Hon! It's Joan Jett and the Blackhearts! Let's go! Now, I remember when that was a tough ticket to come by. and, it beats the other venue on the other side of the midway, which is featuring a rip-off of The Monkees. Nope, think I'll find a nice little tent, with perhaps a Keno game going. Or maybe, we'll visit the exposition and find that Amazing All-Purpose Kitchen Utensil! It slices! It dices! It's only $49.95! The little "picnic" that used to come to my home town has long since stopped coming. Everyone runs off to the larger State Fairs now. And that's fine, heck, we probably won't go after all. It just doesn't compare to the memory of us riding home from the picnic, six of us in the seat of a pickup truck. Little Brother has the goldfish in a bowl that he won tossing hoops in his lap. Baby Brother has cotton candy from one ear to the other and also in his hair. Sister is asleep on Mom's lap. Dad is driving real slow, totally worn out. and me, sporting a brand new purple hickey on my neck from my ride on the Himalaya. Hey! I ain't proud of it......it's just the way it was. |
"The Fair" © Wauhilau as posted in
alt.discuss.clubs.public.culture.native-american.benable
on Wed, Sep 6, 2006, 10:49pm (EDT-3)
bead bar courtesy of Greasy Grass