What I learned at the Fair

During the five days at the Scott County Fair I saw a lot of money exchange hands; parking was paid for, food was bought, music was played, trucks pulled, tractors chugged, and cars crashed. Through it all people smiled and enjoyed themselves.

I spent many hours at the fair last week and came away with many conclusions: Ice cream can be substituted for almost any meal and it tastes better in the summer. People need to be encouraged and appreciated. Three hours of sleep a night is really not enough. When you go to the carnival, take a child with you and go on the kiddie rides.

Many of the kiddie rides are designed to accommodate children of all ages – even those approaching sixty-years old. I didn’t test this theory, but it seems you were required to have a child with you to get a seat, but then you rode for free.

I was lucky enough to ride the helicopters. Micah, my two-year old grandson, and I stood patiently in line with as we waited for our turn. After Micah handed the attendant our ticket he ran to the first one – a bright little number – purple with pink highlights. It had two bucket seats in the front where it could be operated from either bucket by a team of pilots for especially long rides. There was bench seat in the back to accommodate larger passengers and their cargo.

From our initial, albeit quick, inspection, everything seemed to be in order. Fortunately, the ride attendant was an honest man and suggested another bird. He took me aside so as to not alarm the other flyers and told me in hushed tones that this particular eggbeater did not go up and down but only maintained its present altitude.  I thanked him, and then we moved on to an identically outfitted green model.

I lifted Micah into the left seat. From there he could assume the role of captain of this ship and have a clear view of the curious crowd that was gathering to see us off. I buckled him as he checked the controls. Climbing into the back seat, I was reminded that many of these older models have cramped quarters.

As we waited for permission from the tower, you could feel the excitement build. As Micah had other duties to attend to as we prepared for takeoff, I took it upon myself to find his parents, brother and uncle on the other of the fence.

Soon we were airborne and making our way around the flight path in a tight circle. Alternating between ascending and descending, we passed the happy on-lookers more than once. With each pass I announced from the back seat when Mommy and Daddy were coming up, and with the aide of a pointed finger Micah was able to find them and wave. He would laugh and say, “I have my hand out the window,” as he gripped the wheel with his other hand.

Soon we landed, and I was somehow able to extricate myself from the chopper and get back on solid ground. When I reflect upon my five days at the fair, I can tell you with certainty that money is indeed necessary, but it is not required to be happy; I rode for free that day.