Faith and the Fair

I have faith in the fair. I know that certain givens will happen every year at our local fair. I know that it's the place where I can return to my roots. As much as the fair has changed over the years, some aspects have not changed at all. McNalls, Woods and Albertsons always make up a good share of the demographics. The hotdog and sauerkraut folks will be there in their stand near the indoor arena for Rose Marie and me to enjoy our annual bratfest. The former owner saw to it that not one brat skipped a beat when the new owners took over.

Elephant ears will still command a line-up at the Beta Sig food booth. Hordes of teenagers will be wander the grounds, looking for action from other hordes of teenagers. Inside display booths will offer lots of ways to sign up for something free, with strings attached. You can count on hearing from the folks who urged you to sign up and not necessarily to claim your prize.

The fair serves as a microcosm for the constants of Bonner County. Kids are constantly enrolling in 4-H to learn about everything from pocket pets to electronics. The hinterland folks will reappear every year from all nooks and crannies in the county. Some may have more wrinkles; some may be riding in wheelchairs; some may have grown a foot since last year; some may be mere shadows of their original beings cuz health concerns have demanded pushing away the plate. Some may be still fighting those ornery cows in show rings long past when common sense says ya oughta hang it up. Lots of folks will be standing around visiting with lots of other folks they haven't seen in a year.

I have faith in the fair because I can count on the above, along with a lot of other perennial expectations. Last year, I lost a little faith in the fair when I showed up with my dog on a leash and was directed to get her out of the main exhibit building. This was the same dog I had bought as a puppy at the fair the year before. The moment of reprimand was uncomfortable and embarrassing, so I took my dog home and did not return.

It hurt to know that a place where I'd been so welcome all my life would so suddenly turn into a place where I did not wish to return-----all because of a little-known rule change. I had that same feeling one day in my church while sitting in a folding chair in the same corner where I'd sat for years. I was ordered to move, not asked. I folded up my chair and went home, never feeling quite the same about returning to this place where I'd frequented since birth, a setting where constants had always been much like those I enjoyed at the fair.

So, why bring this up? Go back to the title: faith and the fair. Yesterday, after returning from a good day at the fair (I don't take my dog anymore, so I feel welcome), I checked the news headlines. Later, I heard the story: Mother Teresa doubted her faith---often and over a long period of years. Talk about media destroying an idol which media had created. The story did not end with this revelation. The story also included an interview with a priest who'd published a book with the writings of Mother Teresa, which clearly revealed her doubts.

The priest maintains that this is all the more reason to consider this little lady, so well known for her good works, a saint. In spite of her doubt, she moved forward, continuing to do good works, continuing as an inspirational example throughout the world. For a moment after watching this report, just like those moments at the fair and in my church, I lost faith. Then, I thought about it. We all lose faith at times, but we continue to move forward, doing the best we can in spite of our doubts.

I have returned to the fair this year, and I'm having a good time with the constants that make me feel like I've come home. Granted, I became a doubter in the annual institution that I'd loved so much over the years, but I have come back. And, I'm enjoying the fair more than ever. I'm trying to do the same with my church. It is hard at times, but I still try to do my best in spite of the strong doubts that seem to surround me.

Mother Teresa may have doubted, but she also "did." And, that to me is what's important. The constants that we believe in so deeply may disappoint us at times, but our human spirit and need to keep "working at it" somehow project us forward.

So, faith and the fair were items of great interest yesterday. I still believe Mother Teresa deserves sainthood, and I still believe in the fair. The constants in our lives far exceed the flaws which occasionally upset our apple cart.