What a long strange summer it was. Could there be anything more to take us on this year? This summer of pandemic, civil unrest, a rough election season. There were no concerts by the river or in the park, no fairs, no visits with friends, no carnival. None of the summer activities we enjoy and take for granted. Maybe it’s time to stop, take a cleansing breath, and maybe have a little fun.
I spent a quite different strange summer several years ago. I spent it traveling with a carnival. I learned a lot that summer. It was a different world. A world peopled with many strange characters. There were families with small children. There were single people. There were still others with questionable backgrounds or not admitting to any background. There were unfamiliar terms and actions that were new to this rural girl. I also learned a lot about myself, but that is a story for a different time. A few years ago, I wrote a short story based on a composite of some of the characters I met and the life of the carnie all those years ago. I want to share that story with you now. Maybe it’s time to stop, take a cleansing breath, and maybe have a little fun. Continue reading Long Strange Summer →