Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Hannah Fry | The Ferris Wheel spins above the Anne Arundel County Fair midway, Sep 16, 2023, on the...... read more read more
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FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. – As seasons change the people come and go. The sun shines hot and bright and then fades away into the glistening cold winter, but in the middle, just for a time, there’s a beautiful moment called Fall. As the trees start to change their green leaves to the radiant hues of orange and red, and the temperature shifts from blistering hot to the nipping chilly air, the moment starts to unfurl. You may think I am worried about the cooling temperatures, but I have learned to take everything in stride in my long life.
I’ve been here for so long, watching the seasons change, over and over again. Besides, the changing temperature signals more than just the coming Fall and Winter. It means the people will be coming back. For just a bit I won’t have to be alone. So I welcome the change of weather, and hope the people don’t disappoint me this year.
The people will come to visit me, right? I’ve given them so much during their time here. So much more than just the laughter and memories, but I’ve worked with them to build gardens they love. I’ve fed them. I’m sure they’ll come; we just must get everything ready.
The workers begin to come by, here and there. I wish I could join in, but that’s not the role I’m here to play. No, I’ve done all I can to prepare; now I will just watch. This has been my role for so long now, and although not everything’s done the same way, I still see the same preparation happening as they have since the beginning. I watch as they bring in the wood, and the sound of metal and wood being hammered together rings through the air like a tolling bell telling us it’s time to start.
I feel the rumble of the tractors as they pull up to the newly built pens and start to unload the animals. I hear the clanging metal as the rides begin to be unpacked near the carnival area. I can already imagine the peals of laughter, and the screams of fear as young and old alike enjoy the adventures they present. The trucks drive up and down the gravel roads filling the air with a white dust, and the sound of spitting rocks and grinding tires remind me that soon everyone will arrive. I’m sure they’ll come! They always do. They’ll be here … Right?
I know the people came last year, but I’ve heard the workers mutter during set up that this year has been hard. I’ve been here to watch as the people have changed and every year, I fear they’ll not come back.
Each year, the children seem to be a bit too busy to look at me, staring at their phones like an explorer staring at a map, so focused on the things far away they forget the adventures surrounding them.
Each year the adults complain more and more about the lives they lead. Far too hectic! Far too busy! Pulling them in a million directions and they don’t have time to rest. They’re like the squirrels I see each day, each one so concerned about gathering nuts for winter they’re afraid to stop moving and take a break.
Maybe this year they won’t be able to get away. Maybe they’ll be so busy collecting their food for a winter day they’ll forget that you must store memories as well.
Not all of them though! Denise White is among the workers setting up the petting zoo. She’s an old friend who has been visiting for years, and she’s come back once again. She looks at me as if to say hello, and turns back to her work. As she turns away, I hear her say she’s looking forward to the moment a bit more this year. She normally keeps herself so busy but is choosing a more relaxing role this year. She used to help run the 4-H program in the county and has always appreciated all I do to help. I can count on her to bring her children and grandkids to visit but I wish I could count on more.
The sounds of other workers setting up nearby fill the air. I listen in as Sgt. Matt Howard, a detention officer with Anne Arundel County, tells his colleagues he’s excited to make some connections with the community.
If only I was as sure as he is. He seems so confident they’ll be here. He’s never seen people desert me before. I have. Just a couple of years ago, I watched and waited for the people and they never came. That’s not going to happen this year though … I’m sure of it, I think. I hope.
Finally, the first day arrives. I hold my breath as the gates open, and wait for what feels like an eternity.
CHIRP, WHIR, MOOOO.
The sounds of the animals and machines make it hard to hear the sounds I’m desperately searching for. I strain to hear.
HMM, CLUCK, CRUNCH, BAA, THUD.
I heard a crunch, right?
WHIRR, HMM, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, MOO.
Yes! I definitely heard footsteps making their way through the pens, and over the hill that rose beneath my feet. The steady sound of the people, making their way through the paths and up the steps to find me once again. And then, suddenly I could see them! The people!
The children, their faces lighting up as they saw me, like it was Christmas and I was the gifts under the tree. The teens, trying desperately to look bored, but with a small smile fighting to show on their faces. The adults with lines of stress creasing their brows, but I think it may have more to do with the sugar being stuffed into small faces than the thoughts of their hectic lives.
Lastly, up the hill came my good friends. The oldest people here, but their faces were my favorite. They had been coming to visit for so long now, and I felt like I knew all of them.
There was Denise with her children and grandchildren, but they weren’t alone. So many were coming in through the gate and suddenly I felt alive. I could feel the vibrations their feet made on their way in to say ‘hello’! My old friends headed straight to their favorite spots and the new faces roomed around looking for the perfect place to make memories.
I see a group of new faces carrying around cameras that seemed intent on capturing every moment of the night. I’ve seen their kind before. They’re military members that have come to visit for the season, but won’t be around for too long. I always welcome them when they are able to spend time with me, and know that when they leave one of my brothers or sisters will welcome them wherever they go.
They took a break to talk to each other where I could overhear. One of them, Senior Airman Kathrine Winchell, an audio-visual production specialist for live operations at Defense Media Activity on Fort George G. Meade, Md, said to one of her friends. “Coming here to the fair, it really helped make us feel like we’re part of the community. And it’s really a reminder that no matter where we’re from, we can find a home here.”
And that’s it! The thing that makes all this worth it. You could say she hit exactly on the point I try to make every year. I am happy to welcome everyone to my home, to enjoy my space and share some of the beauty I see each day. I hope they enjoy my home as much as I do and I can help connect them to each other during their time here.
As the day comes to a close, I know my job is far from over but now I can rest until next year.
I am the Anne Arundel Fairgrounds in Crownsville, Md, and had the pleasure of hosting the 71st annual Anne Arundel County Fair from September 13 to 17, 2023.
| Date Taken: | 09.16.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.20.2023 21:37 |
| Story ID: | 460408 |
| Location: | CROWNSVILLE, MD, US |
| Web Views: | 20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, My Fair Moment, by PO1 Hannah Fry, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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