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leaving future with her grandmother, i took the boys to the fair. an afternoon wandering the exhibits, seeing which grocer successfully bid on which animal, helping them onto a few rides at the midway and enjoying concession food.
they were tired, but excited. the day's main event was scheduled for soon after sundown. we bought some popcorn then found some seats in the grandstands, crowded in with so many strangers -- though a few i think i recognized as the grownup versions of highschool classmates who maybe never left or perhaps were back visiting like me.
demolition derbies are a cultural mood. a destructive celebration of automobility, where old vehicles are stripped down and decorated just to smash into each other until only one vehicle is still able to move.
at first, the boys weren't sure but as the night progressed their small eyes glistened with excitement. the sound! the drama! the way competitors used a kind of sign language to invite new smashes!
the moment a far flipped they both jumped up with the crowd, cheering but then pausing as first responders rushed in. the driver crawled out, and to the roaring approval of the crowd, rocked his car back and forth, back and forth. the responders soon helped. it flipped up right and the driver gave the stands a thumbs up, hopped in, revved his engines and waited for the green.
the stands boomed with feral joy.
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