A friend recently treated me to seeing a production of Wicked, wherein we learn that the wicked witch of the west is not quite so wicked. The best line in the show was when Elphaba (supposedly wicked but not so) and Galinda (supposedly good but wickedly narcissistic) are trading barbs and Elphaba says "Not everyone travels in a BUBBLE."
Of course, since the show if rife with euphemisms, this one is not lost on the audience. Galinda lives in a world of her own creation, sees nothing outside that sphere as real or noteworthy, and expects others to eventually realize she is indeed the center of the Universe.
I had this bubble theme running through my head as I floated aimlessly through the San Diego County Fair. Here were thousands of people I never would have encountered otherwise, all who came to leave their harsh reality bubbles and wiggle into a fresh one filled with bright colors, funnel cakes, soft stuffed Sponge Bobs, mystery fried foods, rides, permission to scream in terror, endless people watching and ribbons ribbons ribbons for the crafts people spend entire winter seasons locked away in garages manufacturing.
An entire building was filled with the promises of late night television come to life: the magic star peeler, the brush that gets every cat hair off your sofa, a tool to burn your name into wood, spas, massage chairs, kitchen knife sets, chia pets, wheels of fortune, handwriting analysis, hydroponic grow lamps.
The promises promises promises of hawkers selling dart games, ring tosses, water pistol races, handing you a baseball and daring you to break a beer bottle. A chance to prove yourself. And bring home a prize for your sweetie.
But will it last?
I suppose we need to have a way to make believe that make-believe can be made believable. So we keep mementos. Not the kind Guy Pearce suffered in cinema: living in reverse; well, then again, perhaps just like that.
We keep toys, lockets, we keep photos. See? It was real. I have the photos to prove it.
I floated through the fair with a point-n-shoot, subject to delays. So I grabbed random moments, happy to leave the big obvious cameras at home.
Another friend just told me I should be the next Andy Rooney, allowed to take a subject like cotton candy or star peelers and run with it stream of consciousness, connecting dots.
But I'll give it my best shot here. Peeking into other people's moments, or are they visiting mine?
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