state fair

My mom was a fair queen. Growing up, there was a picture of her on our living room wall awarding a grand prize ribbon to someone and his cow. She was proud of it in a strange way. The list would go: kids, Ph.D., state fair crown, nice house, no cavities at the dentist.

When I was ten or maybe eleven, they had a big reunion in her hometown of all the fair queens from the past fifty years. She bought a blue sequined dress just for the occasion. I remember waiting in the grandstand as the sun went down and just as they finished cleaning up from the monster truck rally to see her walk across the stage for about fifteen seconds.

I think from that moment on I decided that State Fairs were best visited briefly.