I remember the carnival.

Bright lights and sounds.

Smell of deep fried food and promise of prizes.

Remember holding my dad's hand as he led me through the circuit of all the kitty rides

I wanted to go on.

Just playing a patience that I now admire.

Now that I have children on my own I know how frustrating can be to take a five-year-old

through a carnival.

Wish you could say I had the same patience and calm understanding that he had.

My dad had offered to take me out that day so mom could have a day to herself.

Parenting is hard work.

You thought you deserved some rest.

No five-year-old to take care of just her doing whatever she wanted for an afternoon.

Carnival had been an ideal distraction.

We just gotten off the mini roller coaster with the cartoon dragon figurehead.

The kind that goes along a small round track and isn't much fun for anyone, although I was

good and convinced that I had been having fun on it.

Now I couldn't be having fun.

I was at the carnival with my dad and that was the best place I could be.

I wanted to go on that ride again.

I wanted to go on every other ride.

I wanted ice cream, and poutine, and candy, and cake.

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