Kate, Kindness, & The County Fair

Felicia Fay King
Aug 28, 2017 · 2 min read

I was standing in line waiting to ride the swings at the local Wilson County Fair. A little girl (probably around 8 ) stood behind me. She had glasses, pigtails, and an adorable polkadot dress on! She tapped me on the shoulder and we became instant friends. She had a thick southern country accent, a strong sense of belonging, and a sweet sweet innocence about her. She was thrilled to be where she was and wasn’t worried about what she did not have.

Kate told me she showed up with $4 bucks, got in for free, people fed her corndogs, funnel cakes and cotton candy, she saw a hypnotist that could make magic, that this was her 27th ride that night, that she won not 1 but 2 stuffed animals for free, and that the only ride she may NOT ride was “that kid roller coaster, cuz It’s for sissys”, Oh AND that she still had her $4 bucks.

Here is our full conversation :
Kate — “My names Kate what’s yours?” — “
Me — “I’m Felicia, how are you Kate?!” —
Kate: -” I’m pretty good, are you here by yourself Felicia? And will you take my selfie?”
Me: “Of course I will! And Yes! I’m here by myself! Are you here by yourself?”
Kate: “Well, I got a brother round’ here somewhere, but I don’t like him much.”
Me: “Cool. So your just hanging out by yourself?”
Kate: “Yep! I like it that way most times. I’m actually really really cool! I love myself.”
Me: “you are pretty cool Kate.”
Kate: “I guess your pretty cool too Felicia, wanna be friends for tonight and ride the rides together.”
Me: “Uh YES! Kate will you take my selfie too?!”
Kate: “duh! We are totally gonna be cool friends.”
Me: “We sure are.”

Bless you sweet Kate for reminding me -
-that I am really really cool😎 & to LOVE and embrace myself and all of my coolness always.
- that if you believe in yourself… ANYTHING can happen and you can ride ALL 27 of the rides regardless.
-to talk to strangers and make new friends without fear of rejection.
-to live in and be open to the present moment because you never know when a “Kate” could be RIGHT behind you.
-to love everybody regardless of age, gender, or race.

#IwannabelikeKATEwhenigrowup
#KateTookMySelfie

)
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade