A perfect moment in time. A perfect gift in an imperfect world.
The summer of 2000 was one of the more hectic times of my life. I had just traded the safety and security of living on Whidbey Island for the busier lifestyle of Seattle. By mid-July I needed a break.
The past few years had seen me leaving my career of over 18 years and one of my daughters getting married. Out of five children only one still remained at home. I had given thought to my last tax exemption and I taking off on a road trip only to have that dismissed by typical teenage whining.
As much as I wanted to just go on holiday, money was now tight with the move. I decided to put it off. I have put off holidays many times before. A temporary employment agency I was registered with asked if I wouldn’t mind working at a carnival for a couple of days.
It was sunny out and I needed the money so I went for it. I spent two days working the ring toss game while the carnival was in Federal Way, Washington. This was only a half an hour drive south of Seattle and it was mostly highway driving. Easy commute.
Funtastic Shows is a rather large carnival run by Ron Burback out of Portland, Oregon. The carnival is split up into two parts, the rides and the midway games. The rides are run by Funtastic Shows and even though the operators look half crazed, they are well trained and very professional.
The midway consisted of various games and food vendors. The games were owned by various people in a sort of franchise arrangement. I was working for Ron Burback but loaned out to whoever owned the ring toss.
I really liked the job. It was hard work and the pay wasn’t great but it sure did wonders clearing my mind. It was like a holiday. I guess I just needed a change of pace.
My bosses were impressed with my work. They didn’t have to supervise me like they did other temps. I was asked if I would work for the carnival itself.
The next week they were going to Beaverton, Oregon for the start of the carnival’s county fair circuit. This was the first of many county fairs they worked finishing out the season at the Puyallup Fair in Puyallup, Washington. I couldn’t drive to Oregon every day but I really wanted to let the kid in me continue to play. I said yes.
The carnival has a traveling bunkhouse. For those who don’t have their own rv’s they were quite nice but I had my own home on wheels. I told my daughter I was joining the carnival and took off for Oregon.
After arriving there a carnival supervisor assigned me a spot to park and hookup to services. They have these massive generators that run the rides and provide lights back behind the attractions and as I found out provided my electricity too. I went into town bought groceries and settled in for the night.
The next morning came early and I set up the ring toss at 8 am. The carnival opened at 10:30 so I had time to eat breakfast and walk around.
As soon as the gates opened the hordes of families came in. Within a half hour my square booth was packed with people.
The carnival manager came by to introduce himself and welcome me into their family. He looked so out of place there. He was Hispanic and looked a great deal like Edward James Olmos wearing a white very starched shirt with cuff links. Not what you would expect in a carnival. While talking to me I noticed him always scanning the area. I got the feeling he saw everything that was going on while he talked.
The crowds of people where overwhelming. Lots of kids begging their parents for money in the hopes of winning a stuffed animal bigger than them.
It was 105 degrees in the shade during the week we were there. The massive amounts of people and the heat made you really appreciate your breaks. I usually went back behind the haunted house and laid down in the shade of a tree. I’d pour water on my face and zone out for 15 minutes.
One day as I lay down on the grass, eyes closed, a slight breeze came through the area. With the breeze came the song “Summer” by War traveling in the air.
This is one of my favorite songs and I just closed my eyes and escaped into the music. Right now this break was so stress relieving it felt like heaven. Right after the song ended I heard “Spill the Wine”, also by War start to play.
It took a moment since my brain was so overheated, but it dawned on me that War was playing a concert just a few hundred feet away out of my sight.
At this point time just seemed to stop. You know when you hate what you are doing or at work time seems to drag, but breaks and holidays seem to fly by? Time had slowed to a complete crawl. I was in another world, another space. Another dimension.
Right at this moment the world was totally perfect. All was right in the world.
I knew the moment wouldn’t last and I would probably never experience it again, but this was a totally perfect moment. One that I will cherish forever.
When things get horribly bad, I just try to remember and go back to those moments and I know I can continue on.
