5.20.2011

Changling



When I was thirteen, my grandma took my brother Luke and I, along with my Aunt Shirley, to the circus for a joint birthday gift. THE GREATEST SHOW IN THE WORLD!

Grandma even bought us a program, slick and glossy. It was more like an oversized book, really, and I pored over its pages for hours and hours. For a provincial country girl who'd never been to the movies, who didn't watch television, and who hadn't traveled much past the end of her nose, it was the most exotic, exciting thing I'd ever seen outside of a National Geographic. It was about that time that I decided I would become a clown. I knew that the trapeze was beyond my abilities (though I wished otherwise), but clowning seemed within my grasp. I had an amazing, stretchy face, I already made faces at myself in the mirror for more time than anyone would consider healthy, AND the program featured a two-page spread on the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey clown school in Florida.

I tacked the circus-poster insert to the wall at the foot of my bed from that point on, and I'm sure it seeped into my dreams. I thought a lot about this future, and even into college, I considered it a serious possibility, along with going to theater school and traveling the world.

Then my best friend told me he intended to marry me, so we had a circus-themed wedding reception, instead. I moved the circus poster from the foot of my bed to the wall behind the reception head table, where it provided a festive backdrop to John and I as we celebrated. It was WAY better than clown school, and what I've been given in the last ten years eclipses all of the above. I still have the program and the poster, though, and I wonder if the circus accepts highly motivated 80-year old clowns.

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When Susannah was 2 weeks old, John surprised us with a trip to the circus. He'd received tickets through his work, and my girls were dazzled as I had been. Since that time, he's taken us two other times, thanks to tickets through his work, and it never gets old or stale.

This time, we had to pay for the adult tickets because of a glitch, but it was more than worth the cost.

And we went with friends, which made it all the more merry!




I didn't take many pictures. Having a squirmy baby on my lap while trying to adjust manual settings that I'm not entirely competent with yet hampered any excess, which meant there was more time to stare wide-eyed at all the wonder and glitz.

More time for Luci to eat elephants.



More time for Pip to wonder why I'm taking her picture.



More time to watch the trapeze artists with awe and wistfulness. (A small part of me still wishes my mom and dad had been circus people, so that I'd have an excuse to swing up so high.)



They were the best trapeze artists I'd ever seen, and I can't even remember the name of their troupe. (Rebecca?)


More time to envy the woman who rides elephants.





And more time to watch the real Human Cannonball shoot through the air and land at the opposite side of the arena. I'm sorry that I have no picture of this new-to-me marvel; I was too busy watching, but it was exciting.






Then we walked across the bridge to normalcy, where women don't swing through the air by their hair, Tiger Men don't pace a ring filled with striped beasts, dogs don't willingly rush down slides, spangles don't shoot out of every corner, and where cotton candy doesn't cost 3 bucks a bag.






We drove home through beautiful rain.





It's a good life, this life of mine

5 comments :

Rebecca said...

not entirely competent yet? How much more competent are you planning on becoming? Because trust me---you have already blown me out of the water and I have only been practicing for two years now!

I think it is SO funny we both did the bridge shot. What is even MORE funny is that I never remember a time where you were behind us. Not for the life of me.

Rebecca said...

Forgot to say- I never knew you were so.... obsessed... with the circus! hehehe. Love the back story.

I DO remember hearing about your circus themed wedding come to think about it. Sometime when we are visiting, would you show me the pictures? I would love to see that.

ALSO---that circus experience (thanks John!) had me so excited, I am hosting a circus party on July 4th. Of course, we would LOVE to have you come if you do not have plans yet. (Which is why I am asking you here before the formal invite, so that maybe I can get it blocked off for us?)

You can be a clown then, because dressing up is highly encouraged! ( I am going to be a mime, only, WITH the words because it would be an impossibility otherwise, as you well know.)

Abigail said...

P'SHAW squared! You are ridiculous. I'm a babe in arms compared to you-- I say it again-- Miss Photography Fancypants. We could bat this back and forth for days...(but I'm right).

I was behind you when Piper decided to jump over the side of the bridge. I rescued her. Then I took a picture of the couple-sweetness in front of me. Awwww.

Yup, I'm obsessed. It's very unhealthy, and, since you asked, I'd love to show you the wedding pictures AND the circus program AND the fold-out poster AND the other circus book that shaped a circus-loving soul. (You're in for it.)

A circus party? We'd LOVE to come! We usually host a cook-out, but I think John has to work, so it might just work! Your parties are always so crazy-incredible, and having a circus one is pure genius! Too many exclamation marks?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And, knowing you, I'll find ideas to steal for the girls' future circus room. We've talked about it for the last five years, but so far my only ideas are circus bunting on the ceiling, a trapeze mobile, painting the bunkbeds with stripes, and a painting I sketched out FOUR years ago and still haven't started. (Knowing ME, it may never happen, which would be a crying shame...)

Rebecca said...

I want to see that sketch too-putting in my request now.

As for the party. I am SUPER excited about it, mostly because it is going to be the grandest. cheapest party ever. My goal is to not spend ANY MONEY 'Atall while no one being the wiser to my pathetic-ness (well, now you will, but hey.)

If I can accomplish it, though, it might be more a testament to my packrat ways than to my frugality. CLUTTER. How I LOATHE YOU, except when I need to use you for free PARTAY decorations, prizes and games.

(A trapeze mobile? How RAD.)

PS. I missed you on Sunday!

Abigail said...

I just read this comment in my inbox; sorry I missed it! You'll probably miss this reply, too, which will even things out.

The doodle is hopefully upstairs in the dust-filled drawer that holds my sketchbooks, if it hasn't been devoured by mice since the last time I opened it a year ago. Sigh.

Sorry, Missus, but now, along with me and my five readers, your five hundred readers also are the wiser. Blog-writing and secret-keeping are mutually exclusive.

You don't have clutter. Or, if you do, I need to strive to be so cluttered! :)

We should be able to come to the circus, I think, and we are EXCITED! You'll pull it off splendidly, no question.