I have not been to a county fair since I was a kid. I guess part of it is due to lack of opportunity and the other part would be due to lack of interest. I have nothing against them but it is just not something that I normally find myself doing. Well, I do have a little something against them and I promise I do not mean this in a bad way - but I really do not trust the rides at the fair. I know that the workers are great people but I just have this fear of getting stuck at the top of the Ferris wheel... and having to climb down.... and tripping... well, you get the picture. I had the chance to go to the Wilson County Fair over the weekend and it was quite the experience. Although I knew that I would not be riding any of the rides, I forgot about one thing - the food!
The Wilson County Fair is the largest fair in Tennessee and I quickly realized that as we proceeded to inch our way towards the parking lot - about ten miles before we got there. I am one that has a tendency to enter into a bad mood if I go too long without eating. When I started thinking about what all the fair would have to offer, I decided to starve myself that day to be good and ready. My mood worsened as we got closer and all I could think was how fast I could rush through the crowd and start devouring everything in sight. We finally arrived and as we made our way through the entrance - I noticed all the sights, sounds, and smells of the fair and my mood quickly changed from irritable to excited! Everywhere I looked, there were neon lights begging us to come and explore what awaited. There were sounds of children - some laughing, some screaming; sounds of parents - some laughing, some screaming; and sounds of carnival barkers wanting to guess my age or my weight, hypnotize me, or asking me to take out a small loan to throw rings on a bottle and win a stuffed animal. Something about the fair gives us all that nostalgic, childlike wonder - no matter how old you are.
I have to say that my favorite sense used that night was smell. The variety of food offered is sure to please any artery-clogging consumer, and I decided to throw out all healthy ideals that I hold dear and live it up! First on the list were corn dogs, a staple at the fair. They were delicious and within minutes we found our way to the roasted corn cobs! The butter dripped off the stalk and the heat burned my tongue but I didn't care. Of course I had to eat a funnel cake and it brought back fond memories of being a kid. It never fails that I will take a bite and inhale the powdered sugar at the same time which results in choking and what I think to be my few last moments on earth - but I recovered and we finished the whole cake. Then came the moment I had been waiting for - something I had never had before and could not wait to try - deep fried Oreos! I felt like a kid waiting in line and as the nice, older man handed us our order of 6 Oreos, I could barely contain myself. I picked up the first one and as I took a bite, I felt a small tear roll down my cheek. The taste of chocolate and Oreo filling wrapped in deep fried batter is indescribable people! It exceeded my expectations and I highly recommend that you experience this little slice of heaven - at least once in your life.
We proceeded to walk around and do another one of my favorite things - people watch. I am not one to judge or talk about stereotypes, but it is just a fact that you will see all kinds of people at a county fair. All shapes, all sizes, all clothing styles, all ages, all kinds - again, I am more of a "city boy" and most county fairs are just not very "city-fied." My V-neck tshirt did not exactly fit in with all of the overalls and cowboy hats that I saw. However, that is all part of the fair. You almost go back in time when you are there and every once in awhile, that small town feeling is fun. It ended up being a really fun night and for those who ride the rides - more power to you, but I go for the food. The deep fried Oreos alone will have me coming back again next year.
Hope everyone had a great weekend and is looking forward to a great week. Just a reminder - PAY IT FORWARD DAY is Saturday, September 17th so be thinking about how you can make someone's day a little brighter! If you haven't already click on the link and "like" the page to gain more information about this event! http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pay-It-Forward/187761993898
Today I am grateful for: 1. A very full, fun weekend 2. All the great food I had at the County Fair 3. Incredible worship at church Sunday 4. Being reminded of the importance of community 5. A good start to the week
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