NORWICH — Did you go to the Chenango County Fair when you were a kid? Did you stop in at the petting zoo?

I always did, and it was always my favorite part of the day. I know most of the time it's nothing special; usually just a large pen full of goats. But some years they have horses. Sometimes sheep. This year they even had a camel!

I've been an animal lover since I was a kid, so any opportunity to go see and feed some animals, even if they were just goats, was not about to be passed up.

It's been a few years since I've been to the county fair, thanks to COVID. But this year I made a point to stop in and have a look around. Of course, I made sure to stop at the petting zoo.

This year they had tons of goats, a camel, a llama, a couple small cows, and three parrots! There was also a sign advertising cuddles with a baby kangaroo. I have to say, I was pretty surprised to see they had so many different animals.

I don't know if you've noticed, and maybe it's just me, but there always seems to be an air of calmness in the petting zoo tent. Sure, there's usually kids running around, shrieking as they hand-feed overzealous goats. It can get a little loud, but overall I'd say it's much more relaxing than the rest of the fair.

Perhaps it's because it's usually set off to the side, away from the rides and food stands a bit? It's somewhat removed from the hustle and bustle of the main area. There's generally not any swarming crowds of people to navigate through. You don't have the constant movement and slight chaos of the main path.

Or maybe it's because you're surrounded by docile animals. Again, the goats can get a little intense, but that's just because they want food. Generally speaking, though, the animals are just meandering around in their pens, stopping from person to person in the hopes of having a snack. How can you be stressed watching that?

There's also just a sense of wonder that permeates the petting zoo tent. I'm sure for many of the kids that pass through, it's the first time in their life they've seen a camel, or fed a goat. How cool is that?

I'm happy to say these feelings have come with me into adulthood. Even now, stepping into the petting zoo tent is my favorite part of a day at the fair.

I'll be honest, I was having a stressful morning and wasn't really eager to visit. But I stumbled upon the petting zoo pretty early on in my visit, and it turned my day around.

I ran right up to the fence like I was a kid again, thrilled to see the animals and give the goats some head scratches. Of course, I was snubbed as soon as they realized I didn't have any food. A quick purchase fixed that, and then I had about a dozen goats vying for my attention.

It lifted my spirits instantly. Not only getting to spend some time around cute animals, but the freedom that comes with allowing yourself to be a kid again. I let myself get excited over the animals. I grabbed a cup of food and laughed as all the goats eagerly ran across the pen to me.

The petting zoo tent may not be anything special, but to me it is a reminder to not take yourself too seriously. It reminds you to slow down, and enjoy the little things. It teaches that it's okay to get excited over the silly or frivolous parts of our life.

The petting zoo is my silly frivolous thing, but it never fails to bring me joy. It seems a bit crazy that ten minutes of feeding goats can shift my perspective so much, but it does. I walked out of the tent feeling lighter, less fixated on the stressors of the real world. I remembered that at the end of the day, the little things really do matter.