On Minnesota State Fair engagement photos and man’s quest for meaning
Here’s what I will say about the Minnesota State Fair: at this ridiculous, crowded, farm-animal filled, hot-dish-on-a-stick gathering, I see mankind’s quest for meaning. I love pouring over the seed art – tiny dots of alfalfa and canola seeds, placed one at a time into a portrait of Prince; thousands of ears of corn, hand selected based on criteria I don’t understand. One year there was a ballgown knit of grey yarn and covered in sock monkeys, as though they wanted to escape the dress and join the party. Row upon row of pickles, of traditional Scandinavian cookies, of jams and cakes. Projects that take hours and hours and hours. I love imagining people, hunched over a table in the evening, listening to something on TV and concentrating on gluing winter wheat to a board. I hope that it makes their heart sing to do that.
All of which is to say this- if you ever want to get together at “the great Minnesota get together” I am in. In fact, I might already be there. So when Elly asked if I’d think about Minnesota State Fair engagement photos, it was perfect. She had taken Zeke there when they started dating, and if a love can survive one person’s enchantment with the state fair, walking around a hot fairground seeking the “all you can drink milk stand”, then it is a strong love. And that makes my heart sing.
Also, I go every year as part of the Heavy Tables state fair food tour!
