By Samantha Blankenship
BSU Journalism at the Fair
On our way home from running errands most the afternoon, a gentle breeze wafted in through the window. A subtle scent of popcorn and elephant ears was escorted to my nostrils as we drove by. The screams, the laughter and our favorite songs booming from the rides met our ears. My younger brother and I looked over at each other and started begging our parents to go to the fair.
These memories swamped my mind as I attended the Delaware County Fair for the umpteenth time. Only this time was different. I was there as a spectator, a photographer, a “girl on a mission.” I caught fleeting moments of giggles, pure childish happiness as I weaved my way through the crowd taking everything in. The more I photographed these families having so much fun, the more I longed to be young and carefree as the children were. I longed to ride the rides like before.
On the third night, I did just that. I left my camera in my car that night, brought my boyfriend along with me and rode my favorite ride: the Scrambler. From there, we tackled the Tilt-A-Whirl, which left me in a fit of giggles as the cart whipped around in a circle. Countless rides followed. However, one ride I refused to entertain the idea of riding—until one 10-year-old girl I met while I was a server at Pizza King asked if I would ride something with her.
Not wanting to disappoint her, I agreed, only to find out what I had agreed to was the Freak Out: a ride that spun fair-goers around in a circle while simultaneously rocking back and forth like a giant pendulum, the very one I had refused to ride. A chill went down my spine and I shivered. I didn’t know if it was from my nerves or the cool air that always follows the setting sun nipping at my fingers, legs and nose. I watched the ride swish back and forth, a silent ticking as we waited in line for our turn.
It came too soon. We filed onto the platform, took our seats and pulled the protective bars down over our chests. Inside, I was screaming at myself. What have I gotten myself into? The platform descended with a long mechanical grinding that caused more fear to creep into my mind. We spun, picking up speed and moving in the same pendulumesque fashion I had observed moments before. The music I listened to before was a dull murmur compared to the pounding of my heart.
I found myself laughing. Tears welled in my eyes and were dried by the wind rushing into my face. A sensation of weightlessness coursed through my body like the undercurrent of a creek after a heavy rainfall, fast and only felt. The adrenaline rush was overpowering and left me wanting more when the ride finished.