Thank Grog it’s Firday!!
As someone who grew up in the suburbs of the biggest city in my state, I admit that until I was old enough to know better, I always had a “well…isn’t that cute…” attitude about small towns and small town life. While we deemed ourselves “too sophisticated” for the silliness of most of the traditions found in small towns, I realized that even in my youth, when we would “lower ourselves to the novelty” of going to the State or County fair, I found myself envying the kids in their 4-H jackets, who got to spend the nights at the huge show barns, taking care of their prize livestock.
While just a “city slicker,” even I could tell for the most part, why one horse or cow, or even a type of chicken or rooster, was worthy of the blue ribbon that separated the champions from the also-rans. And I clearly longed for a day when I might be one of the judges in the baking division, as I walked through aisle after aisle of cookies, pies, and pastries (that were all frozen in time with a handful of slices removed by the judges).
But it wasn’t until Deb and I took our epic, 9,600 mile cross-country trip last summer, that we truly understood what our “modern culture” may be missing in regards to true civic pride, small town culture, and a sense of community that is all but lost in the cities, as we all become addicted to our electronics, 24-hour news, and politics that are settled by Facebook, rather than face-to-face conversations.
You decide…and then let us know your favorite “Fair Memory,” after you read on…
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