This week the carnival rides were coming into the small town of Swanville, MN to celebrate the Swanville Mid-Summer Carnival July 8, 9, 10th. Excitement is happening through out the small town. Kids are watching, waiting, asking if it is Friday yet, waiting. They are catching a glimpse of each ride, wondering if they are tall enough to go on the big rides this year. Is their favorite ride here yet? (Mine is the Tilt-a-Whirl) The Swanville Lions are busy setting up tents and making sure the Bar-B-Q chicken is just right for the weekend. The town is waiting for the chicken shack to open to have their share of the best chicken you will ever have! My mouth is watering all ready just thinking about it. The homemade pies are ready for the carnival goers to enjoy. A quick stop to the malt wagon as you are headed to play a couple games of Bingo makes for a perfect weekend.
There is a life cycle of the Swanville carnival for ones who call Swanville home. You wait and wait till you are old enough to walk the midway by yourself. This is a huge moment when you are able to walk the mid-way, up and down with your friends. We have made it we are big kids now! Your parents are in the beer garden by the big tree. (The big tree is long gone now but we still congregate in the general area) Each year you get older. Finally you are old enough to be in the beer garden. Finally. You have been waiting for this and you are in the beer garden. You might walk one round of the midway just to see what is all there but as a young adult your main hangout point is the beer garden. Life evolves and you become a parent. A parent with little people who have been asking when is the carnival and now you are back on the midway. Walking up and down. Back to deciding which are the best rides to ride. What ride should be given my last ride ticket? Do I want a corn dog or a burger? Big life questions! Former classmates of yours at one time you walked countless times the midway with are now congregating around the little kid rides “patiently” waiting for their own children to get off the rides. We are all waving at our children as they make the round on the ride. We all do it. Once our children are off the ride we are back to walking the midway. Up and down. Trying to decide which ride should be next. You and your fellow classmates in this stage of the cycle are longing for a time when you can be at the beer garden again. You finally have children old enough to walk the midway by themselves. Then you become a grandparent and then you are back on the midway. Walking up and down. Trying to decide life’s big questions, cotton candy or cheese curds? The life cycle of the Swanville Carnival.
Walking the midway, just like their mommas did back in the day. Up and down the midway.
Raising a Farmer 
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