As a child, my family went to the fair nearly every year and memories include being introduced to delicious fried dough and German fries, my first pony ride, a woman in one exhibit hall feeding a bee by placing honey on her finger, my dad winning a stuffed blue parrot for me (as opposed to the more common red ones), farm animals and their strong smells, police dog demonstrations, and seeing WBZ's Incredible Broadcast Machine. (The mobile radio studio appeared in funny TV ads with longtime DJ Dave Maynard.) Pro-life activists had even set up an information booth with graphic photos of aborted fetuses and while I was too young to understand those images, my normally devout Catholic mother complained such a display was inappropriate for this setting.
The kiddie coaster was slightly nerve-wracking but the Tilt-a-Whirl made me sick to my stomach. One space-themed ride featured hand painted murals of American astronauts interacting with Star Wars characters. Somebody was ignoring copyright laws! One year, I climbed what seemed like unbelievable heights to ride the giant slide. Since it was a slow day, the operator let me try it a few more times for free. But how many goat milking contests and tractor pulls can one person see? As a teen, the fair seemed boring so we just stopped going.
This year, I found myself feeling a bit nostalgic and toyed with the idea of returning to the Topsfield Fair again. As usual, the region was plagued by bad rain for a few days so before I knew it, the last day was quickly approaching. When a favorite restaurant advertised a lobster pie special for Columbus Day, I decided to treat my mother to dinner instead...until she got sick the night before. With plans canceled, going to the fair seemed like a good choice.
Entering the fairgrounds after such a long absence felt strange. All around me were joyful families and happy teenagers. Vendors sold interesting new foods like barbecued turkey legs, loaded baked potatoes and steaming liquid nitrogen drinks. I was pleasantly surprised to see Anna's Fried Dough again but a small plate of German fries now cost 9 dollars. My nostalgia didn't justify the price. A classic carnival ride called The Zipper remained but it was dwarfed by more dizzying attractions. I also spotted the giant slide and my childhood memories were no exaggeration. It really was that big!
The midway itself seemed smaller, though. I checked out some of the agricultural exhibit halls and saw scores of decorated pumpkins along with an award-winning giant pumpkin. There were horses, pigs, birds and rabbits but by the time I got to the flower exhibit, its contents were being auctioned off. Most of the chicken exhibit hall was off limits too even though the fair didn't close for another three hours. When it got dark, the mood of the place changed as some vendors decided to pack up. I bought a small corn dog at one food stand and was given a free hot dog since they had to clear out their inventory.
Going to the fair by myself also made me feel very self-conscious since there were so many families around. I was an outsider looking in...pretending to make the most of it but wanting very badly not to be alone anymore. The creep factor was pretty high and nothing seemed more awkward than a 46-year-old single man among a crowd of children all jockeying to see baby bunnies in the rabbit nursery.
As I continued walking, a 15-year-old girl who I knew stopped to say hi. She was with a group of friends and I could only imagine what they thought of me. As we chatted for a moment, I said, “The last time I was at the fair, I was probably your age.” She highly recommend the homemade bread but I told her that I already filled up on fried dough and hot dogs. Talking to her made me feel a little more human and since she was old enough to be my daughter, I wondered what it would be like to have kids. We exchanged goodbyes and then I took one last loop around the midway before going home.
I had a good time for the most part but as a single person, life feels very incomplete and situations like this only seem to underscore that point. My sojourn to the Topsfield Fair had me thinking of another example where company, or a lack thereof can affect how you feel and how others see you.
If you feed pigeons in the park with your girlfriend, it's romantic. If you feed pigeons with your wife and young children, it's heartwarming. But if you feed pigeons as a guy who is all by himself, it's pathetic. Is he antisocial? Does he like animals more than people? Does he have mental problems? We've all heard the stereotypes yet the single man feeding pigeons is doing the exact same thing as the cute couple and the family. There are some who say we should be happy no matter what our situation in life is because God loves us but humans are social creatures and the company we keep can make all the difference in the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment