I was a 12-year-old boy when I got a job at a local fair. This yearly event was small, but they had fun rides and carnival games. As a pre-teen, though, going up there to hang out meant everything to me because, due to it being close to my house, my parents allowed me to go on my own.
I liked to linger around the fairgrounds and watch the ride owners assemble the rides. The Ferris wheel would tower above me, its shadow casting black lines that looked like fingers spreading across the terrain. They would spin the wheel to the next level whenever they added a new car to the structure. The sun would pass through, and the bright light would flicker as the metal beams sliced its powerful rays. My parents were happy I had a job to keep me busy for a few days. I loved to get there before the start of the fair and watch them assemble the rides. Nothing was cooler for me than to see those rides come to life while they were being built. Something I can enjoy watching again on YouTube. On the day before the grand opening, I walked through the game section and met the game owner, Gus.
Gus owned more than a few game booths on the midway.
"You're looking for work, or do you want to just linger around here and make no money?" He said to me in a deadpan tone.
"Never thought about earning money," I said.
"Well, I need someone to work this fishing game for me? Are you 'game?'"
The fishing game was a balance game. The player had a ring attached to a fishing pole by a long string. The point was to loop the ring around the neck of a beer bottle. Once around the bottleneck, the player had to slowly lift the bottle to a standing position. If it fell off the platform, you lost. The platform board has a slight cantor to it. The rope was precisely cut. The poles are all the same size. The ring was smooth. It was not an easy game. And even though I did not totally buy into the game. I thought it would be fun to run it. I am a twelve-year-old kid.
"The job is simple, really," Gus said. "Collect the $5 and allow the person to play until they raise the bottle or it falls off the pedestal."
"That's it?" I asked. "Seems simple."
"Oh, it is, but when people aren't playing. I need you to get their attention by shouting, 'Raise a bottle, win a prize!' "
Although I wasn't too keen on shouting out the slogan for the fishing game, I agreed to work on it.
On most nights, good crowds were shuffling through. The range of fairgoers was families, friends, and loved ones who would flow back and forth in front of my tent. Everyone and their mother would walk by me but my parents. Maybe it was the beer bottles that parents didn't want their kids to associate with. Maybe my demeanor sucked. But there was downtime, so I might as well make the best of my situation.
"Raise a bottle, win a prize!"
Some people would stop and ask me for clues on how to win. They would ask me for a demonstration when they didn't believe me. I wish I could write here and tell you I crushed it; however, I failed miserably.
My poor gameplay was a common reoccurrence when I was asked to show potential players how to play. The good thing was Gus never fired me, and since I sucked so badly at the game, there was no fear of being asked to run away with the fair.
"Raise a bottle, win a prize!"
The fun part of working the active fair was watching everyone walk by me. People do some weird things, and for a 12-year-old being exposed to people watching, people's odd and strange behavior made the night move quickly.
During my people-watching breaks, I would become in tune with the sights and sounds a fair brings. Squeals from the people on the wild rides played the best white noise amongst the bells and whistles of other games. The music would tumble down the midway at different points and overtake the senses. Still, when the crowds thickened, the music was held at bay, unable to penetrate the throngs of people.
Oh wait, I forgot to say, "Raise a bottle. Win a prize!"
I learned a lot on the weekend. I may have sucked at that game, but I learned lessons about the people around me. Their stories, laughter, and weird eccentricities have lasted during my time on Earth.
Yes, it is fair to say that in the end. I did win. Win in the game of life.
"Raise a bottle, win a prize!"
814 words
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