Continuity of place is unlike any other form of creative inspiration. Knowing what the day will hold; whether it is feeding chickens, hanging laundry, bringing food to a neighbor, or sculpting plaster brings a sense of deliberate order and reliability which frees the mind and bolsters the spirit.
Such a day was last Sunday, when a group of us went to the County Fair. Horses, oxen, dinky rides which looked like they might topple at any moment; a lesson in sheep shearing, tomato displays, and all varieties of handiwork from felt to knit sweaters were shared in an amalgam of all that is rural New England. Perhaps most gratifying were the nods and tips of the hat (yes, people still wear hats in Vermont) acknowledging neighbor to neighbor, youth to elder, and banker to farmer in our small town.Translating this community gathering into written form offers the dilemma of which approach adequately credits the beauty, exhilaration, and festive clarity of the event. Every year brings 4-H animals and grape jelly competitions; traditions going back perhaps more than one hundred years. Yet the details and exacting care of these practices are always new. As a writer, viewing the intricacy and practiced talent on display at the Fair inspires an effort to do the same in written form. Only, the written word goes on, while a blue ribbon on a bunny cage is short-lived. Permanence lies in the etched detail of the wooden animal pens, the smell of sawdust, the bleating of baby lambs.
For many Americans, exposure to nature’s abundance is a rare occurrence. How many children have made the trip from urban centers and stood enthralled by a baby chick? We as humans have a deep need for interaction with animals, and when that need is addressed, personal transformation follows. Sharing in the animal exhibits is as much about watching the spectators interact as it is about the animals themselves.
Our Fair brings historical tradition into the present, with events named “Muster”, “Gymkhana”, and “Haylage”. Simple perhaps, but deeply-rooted and distinct in the most rewarding way.
