Fare (n)  a fee to be paid for transportation; range of food

Fair (adj)  impartial and just; of light complexion

Fair (n)  an entertainment event for displaying products, livestock, etc. often with rides, games and competitions.

Track with me on this one today.  We will be riding the rollercoaster of the fair/fare words.  It is one that as you begin thinking about it, more and more definitions and uses reveal themselves.

Our area has great public transportation to and from the big cities but once you want to move from one neighborhood to another it becomes awkward and time consuming.  The fare, fees for which you pay to ride, vary from zone to zone.  As a kid with a mom who didn’t drive, buses were our main source of transportation.  Mom had the system down – she knew the connections, the timetables and best stops for ice cream!  Having the correct change for taking three kids on the bus was a feat in itself.  I’ve been blessed with having experienced public transportation in Great Britain, British Columbia, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle.  What a diverse set of systems!  If you have the opportunity to experience some of these networks, do it!  It is an amazing accomplishment of traffic engineering!

Fair, as in reference of being impartial and just, is especially high on the priorities of kids.  Whether playing organized sports or a quick game of tag or dodge ball on the playground, fairness can easily become the focus of play.  Everyone wants their best interest represented.  We see it even in the professional sports realm, particularly now with the football season in full swing.  Boy, would I hate being a referee! Good thing there is instant replay – I wouldn’t want to make the wrong call with players around that out-weigh me in pounds and muscle!

The last fair is my favorite!  How can you not enjoy a good state fair?  Animals, produce, gigantic pumpkins, fancy jams, quilts, carnival rides, ring toss, skee ball and all the fried foods that go along with the festivities!  We always look forward to the county and state fairs.  So much local goodness celebrated. My love of fairs started as a kid when Dad would pack up the family to experience the LA County Fair.  I have fond memories of the music, lights, animals, games, rides – the sights and smells were wonderful.  Even the barns smelled good to me!

Fare paid, fair play or fair fun is great bundle of Word Well Wednesday’s treasures. I wonder what words will be in next week’s installment?  If you have any suggestions, message me below and we’ll see if your words are next up out of the well!