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DeKalb County VFW Fair goes perfectly

By Mark Harrison
The Times-Journal

Published October 5, 2009

I am going to take a huge risk and use my political position to advocate that the VFW Fair return to Fort Payne again next year.

I understand I risk endangering my position as President Potentate of my Own Front Porch, from which I frequently and loudly express my political views to any squirrels that will listen, but sometimes you just have to stand up for what you believe in.

And I believe Fort Payne is the proper venue for the VFW Fair. First of all, Fort Payne has the fairgrounds. Maybe I’m wrong, but this seems to me the perfect spot for something such as, let’s say, a county fair.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Other cities and towns are in contention. Rainsville might bid on the fair and move it to the new agriculture center there; Ider might make a bid to combine it with the Mule Day festivities, or those in Fyffe who co-conspire with aliens might envision an entirely UFO-themed fair to be held there each year.

And all these places are wonderful towns, with very much to offer. I have friends in all these places and wish the municipalities nothing but the best but still maintain my Fort Payne centric position when it comes to the fair.

And yes, I know. No President Potentate of [his] Own Front Porch has ever advocated for a particular fair venue and lost. So, if the fair does now set up shop someplace other than Fort Payne, it will – of course – be entirely my fault.

Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut and concentrate my attention on more pressing matters, closer to home – sweeping the porch, setting out seeds to feed my tiny constituents.

But if I fail take a stand on the issue, and the shinny, flashing lights of the Fort Payne fair still went dim, and the sweet scent of funnel cakes no longer floated fearlessly over the fair (no pun intended) city every autumn – well, what would folks say then? They might ask why, oh why, didn’t I use my high position to advocate for this, despite potential risks?

I’m reminded of a quote, “Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it's not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won't. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.”

The guy who said that is a President, too - not just of his own front porch.

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