Running away to join the…

CIRCUS!

There is a 75 year old tradition in Evansville, Indiana, that brightens up tens of thousands of lives starting Thanksgiving Day: The Hadi Shrine Circus.

Though not exactly the greatest show on earth, it is one the premier Shrine Circus in North America and one of the last great three-ring circuses in the world.

Yesterday, Lady Suzanne, Amy, and Lucy adopted a “little boy” and took him to the circus.

This is his story.

When the little boy arrived to the circus he found other children riding elephants and ponies down on the main floor. And clowns! (No, the children were not riding the clowns, they were just down there doing clown doings).

Finally, it was time for the real circus to start. The ringleader’s whistle blew, the orchestra began playing Entrance of the Gladiators and, WHOO-HOO, hold on to your horses becuase here come the elephants!

Acts included high wire acrobatics, daredevils high above the circus floor, and animal acts of all kinds including monkeys (what little boy doesn’t love monkeys) lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!

Of course, no circus would be complete without CLOWNS. Now, I know that some people don’t like clowns (Jack Handy is one: "To me, clowns aren’t funny. In fact, they’re kinda scary. I’ve wondered where this comes from and I think it goes back to the time I went to the circus and a clown killed my dad").

Anyway, this little boy was not afraid of clowns and had his picture taken with a couple of Hadi Funsters.

Wait! Since when do little boys have old, gray mustaches?

Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a few clowns short of a circus...

but I do love clowns. In fact, I used to be one a long time ago (with Lady Suzanne at a church) and we have even made a special trip the Ringling Museum of the Circus in Sarasota, Florida.

I used to juggle and make feeble attempts at balloon animals. The conversation with a child usually went something like this:

Me: Here you go.

Kid: What is it?

Me: What do you think it is?

Kid: I can't tell. Maybe a dog?

Me: Exactly. Such a bright lad.

(Needless to say my clown days did not last too long)

To make a long circus story short, this “little boy” had a great time at the circus.

Now, I know that it’s rare to get the opportunity to go to a real circus, but that doesn’t mean we can't take the time each day to see the world with childlike wonder and create ways to make every day a circus day.

My challenge today is to create “circus opportunities” -- to ride an elephant or pony (even if it's just a carousel), or be a clown (and make a child laugh), or teach your pet bear to ride a bicycle (?), or be a high flying daredevil (on the monkey bars at a playground) or …



I guess I'm not going to run away with the circus this year; however, I am going to try to find ways to create a little circus act in my life from time to time. Send in the clowns!



May all your days be circus days.

Sir "Boo Boo the Clown" of Greenbriar