I must admit, August and September are probably my least favorite months of the year - or at least, right behind or tied with February and March. The heat of the summer is suffocating, the flowers in the yard are starting to lack luster, and with the excitement of summer long gone, we all seem in dire need of the school-time schedule. I think the thing that makes these two months the most sinister is the way they tease you with the possibility of better things to come. There is a crispness to the air that promises of cooler nights with the allure of sweatshirt attire. The tomatoes tease with a tint of red to their hue. Even the relentless reminders that my favorite T.V. drama's season premiere is only weeks away is enough to drive this girl crazy!! Enough with the taunting!!
There is one thing that I really enjoy during these dreadful months............FAIR!
I'm not quite sure what it is I love most about a fair. It could be the diversity. There's diversity in those that attend, food choices available, and an array of entertainment - a man with his gaggle of dressed up geese, deep fried ice cream (seems impossible to me), and comedians to cloggers. There is definitely something there for everyone!
I honestly believe the reason that I truly love a fair is that it's reminiscent of a bygone era. An era that I long for. An era when the artistry and beauty of a jar of jam was appreciated, the adoration that a farmer felt towards his animals was of value, and a coming together of a community was not only commonplace, but vital to it's survival. People talked over fences, went for walks, and shared recipes. We invested in others more than ourselves, because we knew that on some level, that's all we had. We seem to have lost some of that in the hurried pace of our lives today. A phone call takes too much time - texting is more convenient. A homemade meal consists of a frozen entree with a side from a can. Even time to visit with a neighbor is a frivolity in times when getting ahead rules our lives. It seems that we build bigger houses and have smaller hearts. We have become too busy and wrapped up in what we'd like to have and become that we neglect to appreciate the beauty of our everyday existence.
As I sat up at our county fair with my hubby, kids, and cows, I realized that the spirit of community isn't dead. People strolled around visiting with one another and catching up, took time to marvel at the talents of others, and for a moment thought of animals as more than just a mere commodity. It is a renewal to my own spirit - a setting straight of my own course. I come away with a deep sense of gratitude for the small town that I am privileged to raise my kids in and the way of life and values it imparts. I gain a renewed appreciation for the heritage arts that were so commonplace in years past, but are now nearly extinct. I vow to watch T.V. less and make more of my time.
Thank goodness for fairs - a retreat from the mundane of summer, a coming together of communities, and best of all, an adult form of show and tell. It's an opportunity to be entertained by others and their talents. It's an awakening to the diversity that surrounds us, that is so easily overlooked. Fair's give us a chance to see the best in others and an opportunity that can bring out the best in ourselves. It's really too bad that life isn't well.................FAIR!!
* Life on the Farm - It's Good to Play Fair!
