The 1971 World Science Fiction Convention, aka Noreascon, was my first fan convention. I wouldn’t have been able to attend if I didn’t have more money than I’d ever had in my life. How did I get the money? I worked, for one night only, as a carny.
A town fair was held at the end of each school year. After the 10th grade I attended the last night of the fair with money earned by filling in for my sister, who had double-booked a babysitting job. Word got around that the carnival operator was hiring helpers to shut down the operation. Fifty bucks for however long it took to get everything done. As I recall, they didn’t have many takers, and I was hired.
What a night that was! They put me to work doing all sorts of things from picking up trash to loading trucks. What I remember best was helping to take some of the rides apart. Taking down the Ferris wheel was difficult and dangerous, but it all turned out OK. No, I wasn’t tempted to run away from home and join the circus!
I forget exactly when we were finished, but I recall the sun was starting to come up as I walked home. Exhausted and absolutely filthy, I was genuinely surprised that the crew — a rough bunch, to be sure — said I had done a good job. I was handed $50 in cash, equivalent to almost $350 today, and that was my spending money for Noreascon. A month after the convention, I started a part-time job washing dishes.
