Day Six - Parade One
Some interesting things today. Last carpool with Sam of the fair simply because our schedules are so different. Received a shipment I’d been waiting on. A proposal I had been waiting for approval on got green lit which lets me give good news to my team in the coming days and should also help with recruitment. Went for lunch with Eleana. Covered someone else’s position for a couple hours.
It had already been a pretty good day. It was one of my staff’s last day so she got a chance to drive the golf kart for the first time.
Then I stayed 2 hours past my scheduled shift, already 10 hours, so I could be in the parade with one of my staff. I made the offer to the whole team but only one took me up on it and I’m grateful he did. If everyone had canceled I probably would have too and I would have missed one hell of an experience. We rode in the Seuss car with a charming driver named Lisa. Her brother was the man in the yellow hat.
I brought my camera but the batteries were low so I was only able to snap a few pictures before it died. Everyone got a chuckle over the whole thing. Then I saw it on the horizon: The Jumbo-tron. I saw Peter crouching and thought back to the pranks pulled on him, Bob, and others using the Jumbo-tron.
The whispers from the previous night suddenly made sense.
I was walking, well, riding, into an ambush. What choice did I have? Put on the biggest smile I could, sing the song, and wave. Sure enough a giant hand came on the Jumbo-tron pointing right at my head.
Punked by the Jumbo-tron. I consider it an honour. It puts me in some pretty august company. People who’ve made the fair what it is today. Whose personalities have left, and continue to have, a lasting impact. I know I should have been embarrassed but I was genuinely touched.
Some men lead armies. Some travel the world. Some have carnal knowledge of vast members of the opposite, or indeed their own, gender. Me? I rode in the Seuss car in the parade and had a giant finger over my head on the Jumbo-tron.
I win.
My inner 5 to 10 year old was just eating it up. People may take me a little less seriously because my childlike enjoyment was likely very apparent but you know what? It’s a price I’ll happily pay. We owe it to ourselves to enjoy these things. What else is life but moments like this?
This truly is, has been, and will continue to be a very special fair.
Who am I kidding? They’re all special.
In high school I called the dances accelerated social time, now fair is accelerated life. It’s great. A lifetime of unique and treasured memories in a handful of days.
Others know it, although they may not say it. Take Sam for example, I can tell it means a lot for him to be back. To be honest it means a lot to me to see him back. It’s just right. To deny the experience to someone who understands and enjoys it so well is criminal.
Special moments few people will ever have.
As a child the possibility of being in the parade never even occurred to me. Once again the fair provides.
