Going to work I drive through the fairgrounds, which is usually an open road. Now that the state fair is on, the road is closed, and I have take a detour that takes me out of my way a few blocks. One thing about the detour is that it takes me close to where the carnies' bunkhouses are. I had never thought about where carnies lived--to be honest I never thought much about carnies at all. But now that I have been having to drive past their bunks multiple times a day, they are on my mind.
The doors to some of the bunkhouses have been open, letting me see inside. I have to say it has made me sad to see where they live. It is like a long trailer, divided up into small closets where they have a bunk or mattress. It looks pretty basic. Clothes are strewn around. Jeans and other clothes are also on a line outside, as if they have been washed and hung up to dry. Some people sit on the stoops outside, and a number of bicyles are scattered around.
My curiosity led me to google "carnie life" and I read a few items. Carnies are the working homeless, I discovered. But they have a real community and take their work seriously. I told a friend about the sad looking bunkhouses, and he said that lifestyle probably holds a real attraction for some people. I agree, although it certainly wouldn't be for me. It's just too bad they have to live in those small closets, even though they pay very little to stay there it seems.
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