NIBROC through the eyes of a nine-year-old

Trent Knuckles is publisher of The News Journal.

It’s NIBROC week!

I know there’s some negative Nellies out there who complain incessantly about it, but not me!

I love NIBROC! I get so immersed in it these days that by the time Sunday rolls around I’m totally exhausted. It takes me a week to recover.
There’s just so much to do.

I conducted a short interview with my nine-year-old daughter, Rachel, to get her take on the festival. She is pretty representative of kids around her age, I think.

Here are some highlights:

Me: “Rachel, NIBROC is this week. Do you like NIBROC?”

Rachel: “It’s AMAZING!!! Can we ride that one ride that takes us up high and spins us in circles? And the Ferris wheel?”

Me: “Sure. What’s your favorite part, besides the rides?”

Rachel: “Can my friend Addison go with us too? Oh, and my friend Eric … can he go?”

Me: “Yes, but what do you like about NIBROC besides the rides?”

Rachel: “What? Oh, it’s AMAZING! Is it today? Can we go today? Please!!!”

Me: “Well, not yet but soon … so what do you …”

Rachel: “I want some cotton candy too. Will they have those little cars in the parade? They are so funny.”

You get the point.

I wish we could all see and experience NIBROC through the eyes of a child. To them, it’s just mind-shredding fun. So much exuberance and innocence.

I used to be a NIBROC naysayer. But I got over that years ago. I decided to really soak it in and try to get the full experience. Now, I look forward to it every year!

I always find interesting things for sale at the vendors. I love the music and atmosphere. I have a good time socializing with people and meeting everyone. I love being part of the 3-on-3-basketball tournament and corn hole tournament. The 2-mile road race and volleyball tournament are great to watch, or be a participant. I thoroughly enjoy the parade every year. I watched some of the Ping-Pong tournament last year, singles and doubles, and let me tell you … THAT was intense! Don’t miss that one.

If you want to see some excellent basketball, hope over to the Rec Center Saturday for the 3-on-3 basketball tournament. You’ll see a lot of your favorite former high school and local college players on the court going to absolute war to become tournament champions. Those guys play for blood. It’s awesome!

There’s something for everyone. Get out and enjoy the festival.

SOME OTHER STUFF

• I’m fascinated by the Olympics in Rio right now. I always wish I had more time to watch the games every two years, but sadly I only catch snippets here and there. I was impressed by the smart outspokenness of American swimmer Lilly King after she won the 100m breast stroke even over a Russian rival who has twice been caught cheating.

She said sanctions against those caught should be more severe. When pressed by reporters regarding Americans in other sports, like track and field, who have been caught using PED’s, she didn’t equivocate. They shouldn’t be on the team either, she said.
Good for her!

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” Edmund Burke famously wrote.