Still, it was worth it.
Holiday World is located in Santa Claus, Indiana.
Think I'm kidding? I'm not.
This is one more reason that I can't leave Indiana.I'm writing today from Halloween Land in Holiday World, where rides are named names like The Goblin and Hallow-Chair... I'm heartened by many things: Happy families of all sorts and economic placements; smiling kids snapping mental pictures of highlights of kid life, for recall and embellishment later; but mostly, I'm heartened by my selflessness in agreeing to get in a car and drive this distance to sit on a bench and watch pasty Midwesterners (my tribe) walk by on the way to another cup of free soda.
All the water and soda at Holiday World is free. I brought my own coffee, though.
"What's in that bag?", the nice white-haired lady asked me at the gate.
"Coffee, a laptop, some chips, some carrots."
"Why?"
"Er.. well, I'm mostly just here with other folks and I thought I'd sit somewhere and get some work done. No rest for the wicked!"
(hesitantly) "Well... (eyeing the green picnic tote suspiciously) okay I guess."
"Honest, I won't try to sell anybody my carrot sticks - how could I compete with the deep fried oreos? ha-ha.. heh.."
(nice lady's not laughing but still eyeing the bag, silently)
"Well.. guess I'll get in there then. Bye!" I say, cheerfully, and wishing there were something illegal or at least sellable in my bag. There's not.
I sip my coffee and soy milk concoction in the shade. The breeze is cool - the 77 degrees are perfect... and maybe, just maybe, I'll ride the Legend.
Posts
This only brings to mind one of my all time favorite songs of Leo Kottke:
ReplyDeleteJack Gets Up
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
And you crawl out of bed and you crawl out of bed
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
And you look at the moon where the window is
And the stars shine, and the stars shine, and the stars shine
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
And way down below in the sun belt
And the telephones, and the telephone, and the telephones
And you look out the moon where the window is
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
And some of us breathe in the brown ground
Where the worms clown, where the worms clown, where the worms clown
Way down below in the sun belt
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
And every night when you lay down
You fall flat, you fall flat, you fall flat
Some of us breathe in the brown ground
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
So we're asleep in the same dream
In the snort fort, the snort fort, the snort fort
And every night when you lay down
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
Santa Claus modified snow peas
On the sun roofs, on the sun roofs, on the sun roofs
So we're asleep in the same dream
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
If you look in the mirror it's your father's face
And the thin grin, the thin grin, the thin grin
It's Santa Claus pulling up snow peas
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
And there's tears in the bank and the credit card
In the back yard, in the back yard, in the back yard
If you look in the mirror it's your father's face
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
And once in a while when the wind blows
And the heart winds, and the heart winds, and the heart winds
There's tears in the bank and a credit card
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
But there's lint in the pocket and a breath mint
Or a car key, or a car key, or a car key
Once in a while when the wind blows
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
And your kid has a face like a walnut
From the ice cream, from the ice cream, from the ice cream
But there's lint in the pocket and a breath mint
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
Everyday in the morning when you get up and you crawl out of bed
Keep well, it's hot out there.
Chessley