#4 County Fair

Remember the county fair? I grew up in a small northcentral Kansas town. Like all small towns, we had the annual county fair for a week each summer. It was usually in late July, and seemed to be the last big hurrah before school started. Of course, there were so many things to see and do. FFA and 4H competitions filled the buildings and barns with animals, food, and artistic entries to delight onlookers. There was usually a demolition derby at some point. There were various musical performances. And I can't forget to mention the carnival food including the general smell of buttered popcorn and hotdogs. Even in the middle of winter, I can close my eyes and recall the sights and sounds.

I remember the artistically stretched cola bottles filled with bright colored water, the painted mirrors, and the variety of stuffed animal toy prizes for the carnival games. Prizes would lure you to throw rings or darts or balls hoping to win a prize. Perhaps we got our money's worth in exhilaration and excitement even the times we didn't win the cheap prize. All I know is that stretched cola bottle with green colored water was a prized possession for at least a few months.

As a young boy, the carnival rides were my favorite - rides that spun and circled and flipped all around. Single ticket costs would add up. But the company running the rides usually ran a special at the end of the week where you could ride all the rides as much as you wanted for a single price. That was when my friends and I would spend the day having fun riding until we couldn't possibly spin any more. I can't ever say I thought about the safety of the machinery; somehow I survived each year without injury.

Memories of running around with my friends is what I now cherish most about the Fair. You see, in a small Kansas town, we could meet up at each other's houses and ride our bikes to the fairgrounds. Our parents never worried about our safety since riding our bikes all over town is what we did all summer. I felt a sense of belonging, I suppose I could say they were my tribe. My tribe changed over the years with kids' families moving in and out of the neighborhood. But they were part of my early formation growing up in a small town. Ed, Mike, JW, Darrin, Brad, Brian, Missy, David, and Robert are some of the most significant that stand out; I know my aging brain can't remember everyone.

I do hope you have names like that who come to mind when you think of the county fair. And I hope it gives you at least a momentary warm feeling to remember those times and those friends with me. I'm not on social media with all those mentioned friends and don't even know where some of them are, but I'm sending hugs in my heart to each of them and to each of you reading this!