The Big E

I've been going to the Big E (Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, MA) for 25-30 years now, practically every year. It's usually a few weeks before my birthday, so I started a tradition many years ago of buying myself a new and different pair of crystal earrings from the same kiosk every time I go. This time was no exception. I bought a lovely pair of dark pink heart-shaped ones. Last year I purchased the same heart shape, only in a deep purple. This year, I also managed to get a replacement for an earring I lost, although there were actually two singles I was hoping to match, but they only had one not the other.

Besides my annual earring purchase, the other highlights were the weather (about 85 and bright sunshine, possibly the best weather of any year I've gone) and hearing a Barry Manilow song being piped through some speakers hidden in some trees. It was "Ready to Take a Chance Again", not one of my favorites, but I was delighted to hear him nevertheless. It was so odd and unique, hearing Barry at the Big E, I decided to capture it on video, just in case no one believed me.

I often combine my annual pilgrimage to the Big E with a visit to my sister's town fair, Celebrate Shutesbury. The dates usually coincide. Sometimes I am thwarted by traffic for the Belchertown Fair, which is often on the same weekend as Celebrate Shutesbury, but this year I was not bothered by any traffic, because the fair in Belchertown would be the following weekend. As delightful as the weather was for the Big E, it was equally perfect for Celebrate Shutesbury. It was nice spending time with my sisters and brother-in-law, and watching my sister and brother-in-law perform.

Two other highlights of the Big E were seeing my friend Nan, who I met over the summer and works year-round at the gift shop on the fairgrounds, and following a little boy in a wagon whose parents had bought him a battery-operated bubble-blowing machine, which he was happily playing with in the wagon. I actually did a 180 to follow that little boy, and it occurred to me had I not been alone, I may have been embarrassed to ask anyone I was there with if we could please follow that family because I was enjoying the bubbles. I went to the bubble-gun kiosk twice, wanting to buy one for myself, but the vendor had no bags and it would have been awkward to carry around for the rest of the day, along with my water, keys, sunglasses, reading glasses and everything else I had on me. I don't like to carry a bag if I can help it.