It is sad to say that the virus has succeeded in killing some long established customs of our community. The infamous Frankfort Fall Festival is dead. Ranked number three craft fair in the country, the Fest has been a Frankfort Tradition for nearly forty years. Over 250,000 visitors come through during Labor Day weekend. Three hundred crafters from all across America come to display and sell their creations. The evenings are filled with carnival rides and music at the entertainment venue. The whole town buzzes with excitement. The Frankfort Chamber announced this week after holding off as long as it could that they are cancelling the fest. Illinois is not far enough along in the Covid battle to allow large crowds to have some fun.
Along with the Fall Festival, the Frankfort Lions decided not to hold its annual Wurst Fest which is the kick-off event for the Fest. Also over forty years old, this tradition of the Lions raffle and the German themed evening of fun, food, and beer will not take place this year. What this means to the Lions is a totally new way to serve the community. Lions relied on their annual raffle to generate funds that would carry them through the year doing good things. Now, we scramble to think of safe ways to raise money. It will be an interesting time for sure.
The Lions Club will have to rethink charities like school scholarships. Three years ago we raised the dollar amount being awarded to graduating seniors from Lincoln Way East High School, and now we are in a spot where we will be scrambling. Our three times a year food distribution for families in need is also in trouble. Vision screening for kids has been on hold since the virus hit. Adult vision and hearing screenings have been placed on hold statewide until COVID disappears. Our efforts to expand services to visually impaired people are in jeopardy. In short we don’t know what we are doing at this time. Since we have not met for the past three months except via Zoom we are still adjusting and brainstorming forward. Any suggestions from the peanut gallery will be welcomed.
Meanwhile my garden weeds are in full force, and the wabbits are vigorously eating their way through things not weeds. Since the Liberals have chosen to take Elmer Fudd’s shotgun away from him his Wabbit fighting strategy must change. Maybe he’ll resort to something more humane like chemical warfare. Elmer is another tradition being forced to change because his actions are not condoned by communists who want to control everything we, say, eat, breathe, and do.
It is my opinion that China is openly at war with the world. Even if they were as surprised as we were by the virus, they are using this catastrophe to benefit their ideology. Hopefully, their actions will backfire on them and the USA will learn that it cannot fight wars in a global economy. Who in their right mind will fight when the very tools of war are dependent upon their enemies? Maybe that is the point, but it sounds like suicide to me.
Americans are not good fighting wars that don’t have visible targets to shoot at. We are in a quandary about how to use our skill and weaponry to shoot a microscopic enemy. We can’t see it so we think it isn’t a threat or a real fight. In this age of right now gratification where everything has to be delivered in this instant, and where we have to be entertained now we are unable to cope with fighting long term bugs like COVID-19
Getting back to COVID-19, Frankfort Township in which I live has doubled new cases of the virus within the past week. So much for opening the door and giving us the idea that things are safer now. They are safer, but not to the extent that we should forget all common sense and live as though the virus doesn’t exist.
I am at a loss to make any sense out of this post. I’ll be ahead if I just stop right here.
Filed under: Aging, Conservative, family | Tagged: Covid-19, Fall Festival, Gratification, Lions | 2 Comments »
