This week my town has its annual summer celebration. Many towns across the country have them. There are activities and contests for young and old, music in the bandstand, food booths and arts and crafts booths, a fireworks display Saturday night and a parade on Sunday afternoon. And many of the local businesses have sidewalk sales going on. Because I am more inclined to a hermit kind of lifestyle as opposed to being a social butterfly, I will probably skip the crowds. I tend to gravitate more to the book sale at the library. I probably will wander down to the park tomorrow and check out the crafty things for sale, for I always like most anything handmade. And the fireworks display is just a block away on the river and I can see it from the deck on my building. The kid in me loves the fireworks.
The crowds of people coming and going to the various activities reminded me of the small town celebrations in years gone by. The town where I grew up had the Kaffee Fest. It was a big deal for us country kids who didn't get to town that often. A couple of streets were blocked off and a small carnival complete with Merry-Go-Round, Ferris Wheel and Tilt-A-Whirl (my favorite) was set up there. I always felt kind of sorry for the ponies going round and round with shrieking kids in the saddles. A couple of churches had food booths that served hamburgers and fries or foot long hot dogs, and because we were in dairy country, there was a large "all you can drink for a dime" milk bar. It was pretty small stuff compared to the countless entertainments going on here this weekend, but it was great fun for kids of my era.
I remember hearing my parents talk about activities in the small town where they both grew up. They talked of ice cream socials and outdoor band concerts on summer evenings. They reminisced about pot luck picnics at the church and pageants put on by school children. They told about tug-of-war contests and softball games and of hayrides in the fall of the year and sleigh rides in the winter. But mostly they talked about the people who attended these gatherings that seemed to be more about friends and neighbors and families than about the entertainment.
I think I would have enjoyed those times.
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I grew up in a refinery town. Every year, there were events and a parade to celebrate the oil industry. It was a family event and people would congregate like family.
ReplyDeleteIt still happens, but the last time I went, It just wasn't the same. Maybe it's because I aged, or maybe I just didn't feel connected any longer. Something was missing and I doubt it will ever return.
Jess, I thought for a while that the disconnected feeling was due to the fact that I am getting old. But that's not it. Old and young alike used to spend time together and enjoy each others company. I think that it is a whole way of life that is gone.
ReplyDeleteI think our society has become too distant. Too much communication is through texting and the lack of face to face communication. A huge part of our ability to communicate is through observing the nuances of expression and posture. Removing those removes our humanity. That's not good. We're unique because we're supposed to be social, gregarious and willing to share the experience we call life. Remove any of the ingredients and experiences become bland; like good food without seasoning.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. We lose so very much when we communicate via text or email. Even the sound of a voice can make such a huge difference. If I type "Yeah, right," another person can not tell if it is a sarcastic "Yeah, right," or an enthusiastic "Yeah, right." I recently watched a family consisting of Mom and Dad and two young teens having lunch in a restaurant. There was no conversation. Each was busy with their phones. And this is not uncommon, which is probably one reason that I so dearly miss fireflies and front porch conversations.
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