Damn a Hayride!

Since I've moved out to the sticks I live closer to Tipsy than anyone else. She's been in the area for a couple of years so she knows the area and she's been showing me around - and I appreciate it.

Yesterday our adventure included the Prejudice White People's Hayride & Festival. Note: We were the only four African-Americans in attendance. First of all, I think all hayrides should be held in the daytime, and this one started at 5:30 p.m., so I was a little skeptical. And it turns out I had every right to be.....

When we arrived only half an hour after the shindig began we were told we could not go on the hay ride because their were no more "tickets."  A older white lady in a Witchy Poo costume explained to those of us waiting to get tickets (not purchase them, the hayride was free) that they only printed 30 tickets for the hayride and had run out. What the?! There were around 60 people in line at the time she told this tale. So, a few of the other PWPHF goers balked and argued. Tipsy and I took our kids and kept it moving.

I've never been on a hayride before and I thought it would be fun - but it wasn't a big deal for me if we couldn't go. However, Tipsy's little one is 4 years old and had been looking forward to her first hayride all day, so she was disappointed. We moved on to the puppet show, but Tipsy kept an eye on the hayride line so we'd know how to proceed. After the puppet show we went over to the Ring Toss game so Tipsy's little one could play the game. The object of the game was to toss a ring over an apple on a stick. The prize was a very small apple. Well, let's just say Tipsy's baby won't be able to get a job as a ring thrower, however, I thought for sure she'd be given an apple for her effort. I thought wrong. The old white guy manning the game asked her to move aside and went on to the kid in line behind her. I WAS FURIOUS!

Baby girl cried and Tipsy consoled her and we walked away. At that point I was ready to go the eff home. Tipsy spied the hayride line moving so she went to check it out. Meanwhile, I'm watching little white kids playing the apple toss game. A few of the little kids missed by a mile or walked up to the apple on the stick and placed the ring over it...and they got a gottttdammm tiny apple. I was too through!

Tipsy found out we could take the hayride without a ticket - like all of the other white people in line. Ughhh! So off to stand in that line we went. At this point mosquitoes the size of humming birds were biting the hell out of Tipsy (on her forehead of all places) and it was totally dark. By this time my 11 month old (who I had been carrying on my hip for what seemed like hours) started to get cranky because he was hungry and sleepy. I was done, done, done with the PWPH&F!

I took my baby to the car fed him and put him to sleep. While I sat pondering my situation I wanted to shake the negative thoughts swirling in my brain, so I prayed. I thank God for the beautiful weather that day, I thanked him for Tipsy and her baby girl, and I asked him to bring them back to the car safe. After all they had just went off into the woods at night on a wagon full of mean white people. lol  Praying helped me feel better about the whole thing.

If we had it all to do over again I think I'd put Tipsy's baby girl back in the ring toss line and tell her to walk up to the apple and place the ring over it, like some of the white kids did. Then if he didn't give her an apple ask him why not and handle it from there. At least that way she would have probably gotten an apple. I was too focused on the guy treating her unfairly so I wasn't thinking of a way to get around him.

So, here's what I learned from that experience, #1 I have to develop thicker skin if I'm going to remain in this community and have peace, #2 I should always take my own car, and #3  See title of post.