I have to say, I was a little bit nervous at first. I had never done anything like this before. My heart was beginning to pound. The excitement was building as I approached the opening. The thoughts of all the things I had heard about the experience poured through my brain with torrential force. I thought about the lights, the sounds, the smells, the feel. Nearer still to the opening I saw that I was not the first to make my way into the hallowed grounds. Finally, after three years of living five minutes down the road, I managed to penetrate the gates of the N.C . State Fair.
Everything in sight shined with the brilliance of Apollo’s chariot, a departure from things I normally see. You see, I am colorblind. The finer shades of light are usually lost to me, but at the State Fair, everything shimmered with a neon iridescence, letting me bathe my eyes in the magnificence of color.
The Ferris wheel stuck out in the distance, like a giant peacock. It called to me, hypnotizing me with its endless loop of flashing colors and the promise that I would soon be high above everything else in the area. I couldn’t resist. I bought my ridiculously overpriced tickets and hopped in. After a few revolutions of the wheel it slowed to a stop for others to get on. It could not have stopped at a better place; our gondola was at its apex. Those few minutes at the top were absolutely amazing. I could enjoy the scope of my situation from up there. I could see every ride in the park, each scam called a tent game, and the plethora of diverse food stands. Soon my turn at the top was done, but I knew exactly where I was headed next.
I spotted a ride I had only ever seen on TV. It was one of those rotators that uses centrifugal force to press you against a wall, even while gravity tries its best to pull you away from it. The ride got going and before I even realized how fast it was spinning us, we were thrown into the air. I turned my head upward, expecting to see the sky but I was surprised, instead, to see that the world had been tilted on its side and no one but me seemed to care. While spinning through the air I felt like I was a little kid again; I had my feet in the air, my hands on my head, and was laughing to the point of tears. By the time the ride was through, I’m sure the operator thought I was either high or an idiot man-child, and I don’t care because I can’t remember the last time I had that much fun.
By this time, I was starving. After seeing the Philly cheesesteak shack next to the fried Wisconsin cheese shack and the sign for Krispy Kreme burgers I knew I had risk suicide and would eat until I dropped. I perused the area for the stand that would be my death, and it wasn’t long until I found it. There on a sign above a large white tent were the words deep fried Kool-Aid . Here is where I found bliss. One deep fried Kool-Aid , a cheeseburger, Oreos , Reese’s, cheesecake, and a Krispy Kreme burger later; I could feel my arteries closing in on me, my heart beating ever slower and in a faint whisper asking me, “why?”
The things I saw, the joy I felt, and the fun I had I owe all to you, State Fair. I want you to know that no matter how detrimental to my health and wallet you may be that I will always remember that you were my first and that you are special for that.