Monday, September 29, 2008

Tulsa State Fair and Night Ranger

Wednesday will be a big day in my house. My wife and I are taking our 17 month old son to the Tulsa State Fair. This is the only day we are going this year. Personally I do not enjoy going to places like this where there are huge, monster crowds but this year I am looking forward to it for 2 reasons.

The first and most selfish reason is that Night Ranger is playing. The deal is you get to see them for free with your ticket to the fair. I never got to see Night Ranger back in the day and I feel that they are the best music group at the fair this year. I always enjoyed their music. Most people remember them for playing slower songs like "Sister Christian" which was a huge hit for them but my preference leans toward their harder rocking songs like "You Can Still Rock In America" and "Don't Tell Me You Love Me." People tend to forget that they did indeed rock hard with their twin guitar attack and thumping bass and drums. Earlier this year they released a new CD entitled "Hole In The Sun" which does have moments that sound like the old Night Ranger while also modernizing their sound and focuses on less ballads and more rocking. Pick it up if you feel like taking a chance on an old band doing something new. Come on, give it a shot.

My second and more important reason is that this is the first year that my son will be able to really enjoy the fair. We went last year but he was only 5 months old and couldn't comprehend what was going on around him. This year not only will he understand but he will be able to interact with us and with all of the kiddie rides, animals, etc. I might enjoy it even more than him to tell you the truth. Just the idea of standing next to him on the merry-go-round or watching his face light up when he sees the animals and all of the lights and sounds. There will be so much for him to take in he'll probably be in sensory overload within minutes. In reality I just want to give him the chance to experience with me all the things that I never had the chance to do with my father. I just have this need to be there to teach and lead him through life so that he can develop the tools necessary to grow up healthy and happy. Maybe this is a pipe dream because I know that by the time he's a teenager he probably won't want to be around his old man but at least he'll have the opportunity. As long as we keep rocking together for a little while I'll be happier than you can ever imagine and that's what it's all about.