Every Story We Tell Matters

I recently had a nice conversation with Jan Sacharko from A-SPAN that made me think more closely about my priorities, in particular the amount of time I dedicate to planning the Arlington County Fair.  Jan is truly dedicated to serving the homeless in our community and he never sleeps.  I am truly dedicated to planning the fair, which isn’t quite as noble, but sometimes keeps me from sleeping.  It’s a volunteer position so staying up until midnight to get work done is common.  Comparing busy schedules, we asked, “Why do we put ourselves through this?”  Ultimately, I think we agreed that we are both a little crazy and we like what we do.

Jan and I also talked about our inspirations and what keeps us going each day.  For him, it’s feedback from A-SPAN’s clients – a smile, a thank you, a client signing a lease, a family re-united – and knowing that his work truly makes a difference.  For me, it’s the joy on the faces of children at the fair, it’s the teens running around and laughing, it’s the parents with strollers that have balloons tied on them, it’s adults showing off their prize-winning exhibits – it’s all about the people.  So, even though the fair seems like a silly thing to invest so much time in, I know that I’m bringing people together and helping create memories.  After sharing stories from our own experiences and the people we've met, Jan and I agreed that every story we tell matters.  This inspired me to share my story. 

I'm right in the middle of the front row on the
same stage as where the cake walk took place.

When I was a kid, my mom took me to the carnival at my elementary school every single year.  I honestly don’t remember any rides or games, but I’m sure they were there.  What I do remember is getting my face painted and doing the cake walk on the auditorium stage.  Each year without fail, I would get my face painted with something pretty like a heart or a butterfly.  I probably didn’t want to wash my face that night, but thankfully my mom always took pictures.  Then I would go inside and do the cake walk.  I’m curious about how much money she spent so that I could walk around until the music stopped, especially because I know for certain that I never won.  Looking back, it wasn’t about winning – and it clearly wasn’t about the carnival itself.  It was about spending time with my mom and having fun.  I don’t remember a lot of things from growing up as clearly as I remember that.

Now, as a member of the fair’s board of directors, when I see people at the fair smiling and having a good time, my heart smiles.  When I hear from a vendor or local performance group who has participated in the fair for 15+ years, I feel awe and excitement to be part of something so big.  When some aspect of the fair, like programming or sponsorships, works out, I want to jump up and down...and sometimes I do!

Even with the ups and downs, I love the fair and wouldn’t trade the experience.  I just hope for more ups next year in my (hopefully) second year as Chairperson!  Until then, I’ll keep working hard knowing that the time I spend on the fair may turn into someone else's story.

Thanks, Jan, for your service to our community and for reminding me of my story.  Hope to see some of my awesome readers at the fair -- August 10th - 14th!