Ever go to a county agricultural/farmer’s fair? I grew up on them…the annual Flemington Fair, last week of August through Labor Day…just before going back to school. Good memories. Once you’ve had your funnel cake, watched the dunk tank action and seen the cows and chickens, do you visit the buildings with the odd collection of booths? – the Sears home improvement booth, the guy selling fireplaces, the World’s Greatest Cutlery?
I had booth duty for the Musconetcong Watershed Association last night. I’m not quite sure why people even walk through these buildings because their objective seems to be to run the gauntlet without making any actual eye contact. I developed a strategy of hanging away from the booth, making it appear unattended. Then when someone innocently came into my web, I pounced. The things I do to amuse myself. Foot traffic was light, so I saw the balloon launch and parts of the tractor and truck pulls.
The Warren County Fair is a great place to people-watch. In a rural community you see some interesting things. Last night the one-armed farmer stood out. Farming is very dangerous. Lots of heavy equipment and often nobody around to help. I’m not sure what his story was, but he still farms.
Booth duty is hard; I’d just as soon not make eye contact or talk to strangers either. So actually, it’s good to force myself to do it. It’s a week-long fair and it needs the help of many trustees to man the booth. Another hard aspect of booth duty is the concrete floor. If I stand for too long, my feet hurt. And if I sit, I’m disengaged from trying to engage people. I was up and down all evening. And for the work I did, I rewarded myself with a buttery ear of local roasted corn. Yum. Best around.
I had booth duty for the Musconetcong Watershed Association last night. I’m not quite sure why people even walk through these buildings because their objective seems to be to run the gauntlet without making any actual eye contact. I developed a strategy of hanging away from the booth, making it appear unattended. Then when someone innocently came into my web, I pounced. The things I do to amuse myself. Foot traffic was light, so I saw the balloon launch and parts of the tractor and truck pulls.
The Warren County Fair is a great place to people-watch. In a rural community you see some interesting things. Last night the one-armed farmer stood out. Farming is very dangerous. Lots of heavy equipment and often nobody around to help. I’m not sure what his story was, but he still farms.
Booth duty is hard; I’d just as soon not make eye contact or talk to strangers either. So actually, it’s good to force myself to do it. It’s a week-long fair and it needs the help of many trustees to man the booth. Another hard aspect of booth duty is the concrete floor. If I stand for too long, my feet hurt. And if I sit, I’m disengaged from trying to engage people. I was up and down all evening. And for the work I did, I rewarded myself with a buttery ear of local roasted corn. Yum. Best around.