When they complained that something wasn’t fair, I’d say, “Let me tell you what fair is. Fair is a ball hit between first and third base in baseball. Fair is a sunny day. Fair is where we go and look at the animals and exhibits and have a fun time with lots of events at the fairgrounds in August. There is no other ‘fair’ in life. Get used to life not being ‘fair’ much of the time.”

In hindsight, that sounds like a harsh way of telling my kids to stop complaining and perhaps didn’t address the issues they had at the time. But it may have taught my children while they were young not to tell me that something wasn’t fair. The old “what’s fair story” got old fast with them. They had to find other words to present their cases to me.

Tonight (Thursday) and Saturday night are rodeo nights at the fair. These are fun events. Thinking of going to the rodeo, I’m reminded of attending the rodeo in Salina a few years ago. I sat next to my neice on the top bench of the stands. She was there to watch her bull fighter husband.

We watched and visited as she also “rode herd” on her two little cowboy sons. Those little boys have been on rodeo bleachers so many times that they climb up and down and balance precariously without a care in the world.

My niece told me a rodeo riddle that night.

“What do picking your nose and barrel racing have in common?”

“They’re both fun to do, but no one wants to watch you do it.” (That’s funny… but, not true. Who doesn’t like watching pretty girls galloping on beautiful horses?)

Some rodeo clown jokes have been around forever. I like the one when the clown and the announcer banter back and forth about the fact that the announcer had a new grandbaby. The clown then says that his nephew’s wife just gave birth to quadruplets. Four bouncing baby boys.

The clown reports that they had named them Eeiny, Meany, Meiny and Fred. The announcer asks, “What about Moe?” The clown responds, “They didn’t want no Mo'”

Tomorrow night (Friday) is the county fair’s biggest event. It’s what my brother once called “the celebration of the decline of civilization” – otherwise known as the demolition derby. I’m not sure what that says about us here in Sanpete, when our most popular and best attended event of the year is the mass destruction of automobiles. But – I admit, it sure is fun to watch (for the first hour).

I haven’t been to the derby for a while. I’ve found out that it’s a good time to see other things at the fair when everyone else is in the arena. It’s a good time for a ride on the ferris wheel too, if I can talk my wife into it. She’s not a ferris wheel fan. She prefers those carnival rides that are like riding the spin cycle of a washing machine.

We’ve had many foreign exchange students live with us over the years. We always made sure to take them to the demolition derby to experience this “cultural event.”

Years ago, we had a girl living with us from Belarus. She was almost in a state of grief while watching the crashing and banging of the cars. It “hurt” her to see all those “good” cars out there being absolutely ruined when they could be used otherwise.

If you haven’t already gotten one, get a “fair book” Check out all the activities at the fair. You can get information online as well. There’s something for everyone and a lot of fun to be had. There are many free events.

Support and enjoy our terrific, traditional fair this year. We’re lucky. And from my point of view, it’s only fair (hehe), that we have such a good, old-fashioned fun event right here in Sanpete. — Merrill