Shrine Circus

[judecorp]

crena and Scott inherited some tickets to the Shrine Circus, and they graciously invited us along for the ride yesterday. I am a big fan of some parts of the circus, like the trapeze artists and all of the people who are in amazing physical shape (yes, I want to be them), and so I tend to look away from the emaciated elephants and sad-looking tigers. Anyway, it was all worth it to get to watch the circus with two of the most amazing children in the universe.

The highlight of the afternoon was getting to sit next to Tyler. She was /so excited/ about the circus. Everything was a thrill. She would raise her hands high in the air and clap and cheer as loud as she could. She gasped in all the right places. Her eyes were dinner plates. For three hours, she /breathed/ the circus.

For a short time, I let her sit on my lap so she could see the ring that was furthest from us, over the head of the father in front of me. I could feel her breath catch with every "death-defying" stunt, the pulse in her stomach quickening under my fingertips. This child was /alive/ with the circus, the lights, the music, the costumes. At one point, she pointed to the ceiling and announced to me: "That's a disco ball. It makes all of those sparkly lights," and she said it with such reverence. "Discoball," she repeated, three syllables of amazement.

She pointed, her arm taut, "A tiger! A white tiger!" Again, "An elephant!" Later, "Pretty horses! It's the Horse Lady!" Our conversations were priceless. I've forgotten half of them already.

Someday, the breath caught and the pulse quickening will be mine, spirit of my spirit, flesh of my beloved. Discoball.

Comments

[sudrin.livejournal.com]

Was my wife, Cannonlady there? ;-)

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Sadly, no. It was indoors.

[sudrin.livejournal.com]

Oh, Cannonlady performs indoors.. She fires herself across the big top.. That's why I married her. ;-)

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Oh. My bad.

Are you Mr. Cannonlady? Or is she now Mrs. Best Buy?

[folkyboy.livejournal.com]

i don't think i ever recall going to the circus? or maybe i was way too young

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I think I went once as a child, to the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus. But I've gone several times as an adult, with various children I've associated with. (Heh, I sound like Michael Jackson.)

My dad is a Shriner, so I knew a lot of Shriner clowns personally. But my dad was not a clown.