While it may seem slightly contradictory to pretty much everything I believe in and stand for my kids and I went to the fair when it was in town this weekend. Like all good adventures we didn’t plan on it it just sort of happened. We were looking for something to do on a Sunday after 4-H, our hike plans bailed and we were feeling kind of lazy one of the 4-Hers mentioned that she was going to the fair that afternoon and so….up the hill we went.
Upon our arrival I gave the kids a choice they could go on 4 rides each and get a treat or they could get ride bracelets, eat carrots and drink water and stay at the fair all afternoon. Guess what they chose.
My kids are 6 and 4 and my son (the youngest) is quite tall for his age the reason I am mentioning this is because this was the first time that they were tall enough to go on pretty much ALL the rides. I honestly don’t remember that first fair experience where I was finally old enough to ride the Scrambler all by myself but living it through the eyes of my children is all the memory I ever need.
They raced from ride to ride, the weather was fair so there were no lines, eagerly standing next to that plywood clown and holding their hand on their heads. The ride operators seemed to be in particularly good spirits and there was a very light hearted feeling all around. Near the end of our loop was one of my favorite rides ‘the gravitron’ now called ‘Starship 2000’ or something like that. It is the ride that looks like a spaceship where you just lean on the wall and gravity pushes you against it while you spin around.
Words will not come close to expressing the pure and simple joy I felt while spinning around with my two kids giggling beside me inside that thing. Hardly able to see all I could do was be present and there was no where else I would rather be. Simple pure unadulterated joy was found on the Gravitron that day and then later shared with some old friends. Spinning frantically to loud 90s alternative Bri and I pretended to be floating yogi’s, our kids giggled and we all forgot all cares until there was nothing left to experience but love.