Last night Emma, Samuel and I spent a nearly perfect evening
at the Kern County fair.
Wednesday was the day the Kern County Fair opened. Samuel sat on the porch with me and said, “Kern County Fair” something he had been saying off and on for the past few weeks. I acknowledged I heard him, but didn’t respond with a resounding “ohmigawsh! It’s the opening day of the fair! Let’s go!” I offhandedly told my son I didn’t have space in my calendar to go until Sunday night.
I explained these things needed to be planned, that he could ask his father about going to the fair before I was able to take him. “Planned this? I should have planned to go to the fair?” he squeaked, putting his head in his hands. Guilt swarmed my face as I thought I was overloading him, creating more anxiety in his always-close-to-the-surface-autism-spectrum-anxiety-life.
I wanted to wait until Sunday to go, since it was the first fair day I didn’t have commitments in the evening that was also a wristband day. My frugality always trumps the urgent desires of my kidlets and somehow I finally got Samuel to understand this.
When Sunday rolled around, it turned out I had a lot to do, including picking up Emma from her weekend retreat at 5:30 and skyping Katherine immediately afterwards. I made a commitment to myself I would only go to the fair if Samuel actually requested it. I almost thought I was off the hook because he hadn’t mentioned it all weekend.
Right before our skype visit with Katherine, he said again, "Kern County Fair." Translated into what that means, "Mommy, may we go to the fair like you said we could on Wednesday?"
Emma's face says it all: Best Kern County Fair Day Ever!
I agreed. On our drive there I thought we “didn’t have
enough time” - which is one of my favorite laments, it seems – but I knew I
needed to honor my commitment.
I didn’t know at the time it was to be my most comfortable, pleasant visits to the fair ever.
By Bakersfield standards it was downright chilly – in the mid 70’s. I have been attending the Kern County Fair for more than twenty years now and I don’t remember ever having a non-sweaty and overheated visit. This felt heavenly. I also realized most “normal” parents were busily preparing their children for the school week ahead on Sunday evening, so the lines
Samuel usually doesn't like getting his photo taken yet is very enthusiastic here - another miracle!
were
ridiculously short.
My children zipped on and off rides with ease so much so that when it was 8:30, a full thirty minutes before I had said I wanted to leave, both Emma and Samuel declared they had had enough of the rides so there was only one thing left to do: share chocolate chip funnel cake.
There was even plenty of space to sit down to eat the funnel cake. When I was ordering drinks, I remembered to motion to Samuel rather than say his name. It was sometime in the last year he got “stranger danger” drilled into his head by well meaning people, I am sure, but ever since then whenever his name is spoken in a public place he gets nervous.
He looked at me and said, “You have been very good about not saying my name.”
I smiled at him, more than a little shocked he chose to compliment me before I responded, “I try very hard, sometimes I forget and I say your name… but I really try hard not to say it.”
He is not prone to spontaneous praise, so I experienced another – or could it be a first? - Kern County Fair miracle of mine.
Last night was also the first calendar evening of Autumn and it actually felt – would one believe it could happen – autumnal here in Bakersfield. I felt chilled as I walked around. Emma wore a sweater. Samuel was drenched both by water from his favorite fair ride and an awfully fine spirited mood.
This was the second Kern County Fair miracle of mine.
In this writing I have relived last night. Now its my turn to have a smile that would wrap around my head if I didn't have ears. I can feel those miracles continuing. Another perfect day whether we are at the fair or not.
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Julie
Jordan Scott is a writer, performance poet, Mommy and mixed-media artist. Her
word-love themed art will be for sale at First Friday each month in Downtown
Bakersfield. Check out the links below to follow her on a bunch of different
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