JPG Magazine: Stories: Photo Essay: Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time

By Diane Peterson

6 July 2007

Once upon a time in America social activities consisted of family and friends getting together on Sunday afternoons to visit, sometimes share a meal..many times traveling a good ways

to do this. At times these occasions were big country picnics with all the visitors bringing homemade dishes. They didn't have the local deli to whip up fancy trays of fine meats and cheeses. That cool drink was ice tea, lemonade or cider. No sight of the biggest plastic cooler in the county filled with as much beer as could fit.They enjoyed real old fashioned cooking prepared and shared by all who showed up. I am sure these events still exist somewhere, however prolly not on the same scale as happened seventy five or more years ago..Now we get together at restaurants, have a meal and head home to deal with our fast paced lives.... back to work on Monday, going to school, all the things life as we now know it involves. These days celebrations are more structured, a careful list is made, invitations are sent out, we RSVP to make sure we have enough of everything to satisfy all the different tastes. The right wine,veggies for those non meat eaters,snack food not too laden with saturated fats. Heaven forbid we should appreciate and enjoy what is presented to us rather than only eat what we like..

But, if you are lucky enough to live near the ever shrinking rural areas of this country, you may still find a picnic in the park,country rodeos, or parades with all the old timers ready to celebrate just being alive. Its the look on their faces that reveals how much these old customs really mean. We recently found such a place in Cragmont, Idaho. The population is around 500 with only one short main street, but the size of this town was not reflected in the attendance at the event a couple weeks ago. This parade paid tribute to the 100th Anniversary of the town and was celebrated in part with bandwagons full of oldtimers, their silver hair and large smiles a general reflection of the day. The rodeo participants on adorned horses, small children carrying banners, vintage cars and tractors moving in a neat procession slowly past those onlookers eager to grab the candies and surprizes thrown from vehicles driven by local polititicians. A wonderful picnic in the park hosted by the local Lions Club, terrific entertainment provided by a local band was to be the highlight of the afternoon. Local children organized to give an animated cheer with their proud parents coaxing them from the sidelines. The hula hoop mastered by the girl chewing bubble gum as fast as she could spin her hips. The rodeo Queens with smiling faces eager to allow me the several photos til I got the one I wanted. The young man dressed in early frontier attire anxiously waiting his "shift" to be over. Lots of vintage autos with their proud owners polishing headlights and eager to tell you the story of their prized possesion, pointing out all the fine details of these beauties.

If you get a chance, look for these small towns and maybe you can step back in time and enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon in the park..