Life is Fair- October 18, 2012
Every fall we park in the same dusty parking lot outside the same football stadium. My hand finds his as we weave through the crowd before going through the same gate. I breathe the cool air laced with the smell of bubbling oil in deep fat fryers. It’s always mixed with the scent of ribboned livestock and smoked meat that used to be livestock.
It’s the North Carolina State Fair. I joke with Greyson that we fell in love at the State Fair. He reminds me that this fact is unbelievably redneck. I laugh and tell him I don’t care.
October, 2003 at the fountain at the NC State Fairgrounds. This picture is framed in our house.
I took Greyson for the first time in 2003. We had just started dating and I told him as a new resident of our state it was a must-see. Greyson had the day off so I played hooky from my part-time job as a receptionist at a local specialty pharmacy. The day before, I invented a wicked fake sore throat. The pharmacist, my boss, whipped up a mouth and throat numbing lollipop for my “affliction” and made me eat it in the office. I wiped drool and smelled like cherries the rest of the day. Greyson laughed and said no woman had ever gone to those lengths to go on a date with him.
It was worth it for that next day. There are few days in my life I remember being as carefree and unabashedly happy. That day is always on my list of the best days of my life. We stole glances and kisses through 10 hours of crowded carnival attractions. I knew he was different from any other guy. Life was just better with him, and so was the ridiculous people watching and silly rides at the State Fair.
I took him through every exhibit of my childhood and every midway ride of my teens. I had no idea he was being the brave guy on the Zipper and the Gravitron as I held my arms in the air with each spin and flip. He held on for dear life and held back the vomit just for me. We ate NC BBQ and all the deep-fried foods we could stomach before topping off our day with a ride on the Ferris Wheel at sunset.
This year we juggled a stroller and a toddler who threw a tantrum when she had to say “bye-bye” to the ponies after her first pony ride. We hurried to snag our few favorite treats because obviously our trip had to be complete before nap time. Between wiping the baby’s nose and giving her rides on our shoulders, we stole glances and kisses, remembering that this was one of the places where it all started. He’s still different from any other guy. The Fair, and life are better with him.
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Oh, Amy – this brought tears to my eyes. SO so sweet!! xo
Aw! Thank you, friend!
Loved this!!! Beautifully written!!
Thanks T! Love you!
oh my. you are just too cute. and seriously so pretty. love the post! hope we can make it to the fair this weekend.
Thank you for this, but I’m the lucky one
I love you!
Charlotte is the lucky one and therfore in a way so am I
Love you Woodster!