A Family, A Fair (08-06-07)

The Graham County Fair has once again come and gone, and its passing has reminded me of several things.

First, the fair marks the passing of a year for my family and I living in wonderful Hill City.

Second, the fair reminds me that summer is essentially over. All through June and July, the work of school continues, but at a more relaxed pace. There always seems to be time until the fair, and then suddenly there is no more time. Enrollment soon follows, and then the first day of school and all that goes with it. The fair is the last deep breath before the plunge.

Finally, though, the Graham Country Fair reminded me of just how lucky we all are to live in such a special place. It serves as a shining example of all that is good about small town life in Northwest Kansas.

I realize our fair is a bit on the small side without a large quantity of exhibits or rides, but really, those things just serve as a backdrop anyway. The main event is not the Ty England concert, nor is it the Jayhawk Roundup Rodeo.

From my perspective, the main attraction of small town fairs is the opportunity it affords to visit a spell with your friends, neighbors, and fellow towns folk. Each night, it seemed as if the entire town, or better yet, the entire county was at the fairgrounds, talking, laughing, eating, and generally enjoying each other’s company. I was more than a little amazed when I realized just how many of the crowd I knew or who knew me. My hand seemed in a constant wave, and I lost count of all the people my family and I visited during the two days we attended.

And that fact is what inspired me to write this column about the goodness of the fair and the greatness of small town life. It occurred to me to compare the fair with other big gatherings I had been to throughout my life. Royals and Chiefs games, concerts and fireworks, and Worlds of Fun.

At each of these events, among all the thousands and thousands of people, I did not know a soul, and I wasn’t encouraged to get to know anyone. The mantra of the city seems to be to not make eye contact, keep moving, and keep your eyes on you children.

Our simple little fair, in contrast, promotes camaraderie and fellowship. Eye contact is encouraged and good handshake or a friendly hug comes in handy. Everyone knows pretty much everyone else and everyone keeps an eye for each other and each other’s children.

It was this last fact that really made me happy to be living here. On one of the nights, I took a shift working the inflatable rides so generously rented by the Chamber. I can’t say enough thanks to the good people who arranged and maintained the entertainment. My children had a blast, and wore themselves out with all the climbing and jumping and sliding and running.

During the two and a half hours I joined the small army of volunteers, my children zipped happily between the rides. I often lost sight of them, and several times, I did a relaxed walk about to see what they were up to.

However, not once was I ever worried for their safety or well-being. First, if you can’t feel safe in Graham County Kansas, I don’t think you could feel safe anywhere. Second, I knew that if anything unfortunate had occurred, from a sprain to a break, there would have been a dozen or more people responding instantly to the problem.

Because the fair is more than just a gathering, it is more like a reunion - a big, wonderful, friendly, family reunion. A family formed through geographic circumstance and bonded by a love of small town values, small town life, and the lure of small country fairs.