photo by me

Why oh why oh why did I say I’d ride a ride with her?

Maybe it was that cute face looking up at me expectantly.

Maybe it was because I adore her and I’d do almost anything for her.

Maybe it was the way she clung to my hand from the moment we stepped out of the car and headed toward the fairgrounds.

She was bouncing.

Sure she wanted to see how her photograph had done in the fair. Sure she was excited for all of us to see it.

And she had fun seeing the “magic beads” turn to different colors in the sunlight.

And she had a great time racing a solar powered car against my own.

And she temporarily forgot to ask about going on the rides as we walked through the fine arts and looked at other photography and her stomach started growling.

And she took a moment’s reprieve to eat lunch, ride a pony, ride in Louie’s train, and then bounce back to say, “When are we going to the RIDES?”

Dad, Mom, brother, and aunt followed her bouncing form through the crowds.

She did the fun houses (all 4 of them). She did the kid’s roller coaster. She did the big slide. She even rode one of those fast twirly rides and the high-flying swings.

But she wanted more.

And she wanted me to go with her.

So we did the umbrella ride.

Up and down, around and round, tilting and moving.

It’s enough to make a grown woman sick.

I stumbled off.

“Let’s go again!”

Uhhh. I don’t think so.

“Daddy, can we go on the ferris wheel?”

Oh, sure. Take Daddy on the benign ride. Throw aunt Dawn to the wolves.

I see where I stand.

But I wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world.