Generations

As I wandered the fair grounds this summer I came to a sudden realization – most of our favorite movies are sequels, or trequels, or quadruels. In fact, my two personal favorites come in a series of ten and twenty films each. They are Star Trek and James Bond respectively. (Although my research revealed 22 Bond films it appeared that most Bond experts do not consider “Casino Royale” and “Never Say Never Again” as official 007 films.) We all have a strong need to make connections and keep them. Rumors are still around that there are discussions and plans for revitalizing the Star Trek universe in the years to come. The strong language found in chat rooms about who should become the next James Bond illustrates this powerful need for connections.
The people who chose the theme for the Vermilion Fair understand what I’m getting at. I have memories of past fairs. I recall coming to the Vermilion Fair in high school making the long trek from Paradise Valley. (Yes, I graduated from the pink school. Want to make an issue of it?) I remember getting sick after eating a hamburger and then going on a ride. That same hamburger stand and that same ride are still around.
But, celebrating 100 years has a deeper meaning than my past memories. We are not just sharing an event that our parents’ generation enjoyed. We are continuing a tradition that goes back at least three generations. While we talk about the weather for this year’s grandstand show and how it was compared to last year, some people did the same thing in the early nineteen hundreds. But while we worry about issues in the MIddle East they probably shared concerns for events in Europe. Did some of them realize that they would be heading to a conflict that would be labelled the First Great War?
The simple fact that a new actor has signed on to be James Bond indicates that there will not be one new movie, but probably two or more. The 007 franchise will live on. The 100 year theme for the Vermilion Fair promises the same. I find myself smiling at the idea that I will be connected with the future of this community. And I hope that it’s not just my children who will get sick on a ride. It could be my great, great grandchildren – or yours.
It’s kinda like traveling where no one has gone before.