The Annual Coshocton County Fair has
come and gone. Participating students
who dedicated countless hours of commitment to their projects, adults who
groomed their vegetable garden to perfection for fair entries and informative booths
and displays have all become a memory.
The rides have been packed up, heading to their next destination. The aroma of the must have fair food is no
longer in the air. In addition, in many cases the must have, “I can’t leave the
fairgrounds without getting this” that our kids purchased has now either been
lost or broken.
But you know what does remain is the
memory of time well spent with one another, and the lessons learned. Excuse me? Did you say lessons learned? Yes, even though Coshocton County Schools
have a two day fair break for all students, that certainly doesn’t mean lessons
were not learned. From the students that
are active in 4-H to those that have projects in Education Hall and beyond, lessons
are being learned. A famous and often
used quote states, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”. That is exactly what occurred, maybe without
knowing when families, when dad’s and their children arrived at the fair, they
were teaching and learning lessons.
Lessons of gratitude, lessons on decision making, lessons of time
management, lessons of volunteerism, lessons of humility, lessons of
moderation, lessons of respect and lessons of joy to name just a few.
This time of year keeps youth
alive. I can’t help to think back about
my modest memories as a young student attending the Tuscarawas Fair in Dover,
Ohio. Albeit I never participated in the
fair, I usually was able to attend at least one day, and if we were lucky maybe
two. At that time, I was probably much
like today’s kids – I wasn’t thinking I was there to learn, I was there to have
fun (and eat an elephant ear or two). However,
looking back now, I can vividly recall learning opportunities with my
father. These lessons are what now fill
the void of broken and lost toys, these memories fill the void of the taste of
that cheeseburger the second time after the ‘Round-up’. Yes a lesson was learned, one that I have
never forgotten, be careful what you eat before partaking on a ride!
One of the big attractions I can
recall growing up and always wanting to see was the demolition derby. Much like today, I think that is still a big
gate. However, that always took place in
the early evening hours. Being a member
of a family of six on a single income budget, it would be too expensive to
spend all day at the fair and feed the family, but it was senseless to spend
money to just attend one show at the fairgrounds. So lessons began being taught: If we were going to go to the fair, we would
be going for a good part of the late afternoon and early evening to make sure
we got our money’s worth. You had better
make sure you ate before you went, and yes we did pack sandwiches, drinks and
snacks in the car. Lessons learned: the
value of needs and wants, the value of a dollar. We generally were able to choose one food
item each (Lessons of choice and moderation).
For all of this to happen, you see this was a family affair; we spent
time together, there wasn’t any just walking around the midway. We had to go and listen to our dad talk about
all the tractors displayed, we visited the animal barns (he grew up on a farm)
and stand and listen while he visited with old acquaintance (Lessons of
patience and respect).
When I now think back to the memories
of the fair I had as a kid, I can see why my kids want to go to the fair. Life lessons are bigger than the food, games
and rides. County fairs are meant to be,
and will be for me a family event. It
will be a learning experience. It will
be spending quality time, it will be learning the word ‘no’, it will be about
being appreciative. It will be a series
of fun life lessons learned. Most
importantly these are ‘Life Lessons’ that dads and families can enjoy daily
whether the fair is happening or not. According
to Stephen F. Duncan, professor at Brigham Young University, when 1,500 school
children in a national study were asked what they thought made a happy family,
they didn’t list things like money, materials or cars – their number one answer
was doing things together. Children want
dads to show interest in their activities, do things with them and talk with
them. Enjoy teaching your Life Lesons!
Monthly Challenge: Take time this
month to sit down with your children and have your own “Life Lessons”
session. Build a list of lessons learned
from your upbringing and memories that you can share with your children. Be sure to discuss how that has helped to
make you the parent you are today.
Monthly Quote: “A father is a source of strength, a teacher
& a guide. The one his family looks up to with loving trust
&pride. A father is a helper with a
willing hand to lend. A partner, a teacher
and the finest kind of friend. - -
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