I remember many many years ago, when I was about 10 or 11 years old (wow, that seems like such a long time ago!), being taken to the Circus.  Of course, it was Barnum and Bailey’s Circus back then that was “THE Circus” to go to.  It was actually in a tent then... now that circus is always in a big building... I 'm sure that makes it easier to do the huge acts they do now.

We didn’t have much money… mom raised us four kids on less than $10,000.00 a year, if you can believe that.  I know today that would be… well, impossible really, and it almost was back then too (oh yeah… the "good old days" of the 1970’s, ‘80’s, and onward).  We had wonderful friends in our congregation… well, from the time I was about 12 we had religious “friends”… brothers and sisters we called them, and they helped a lot... donating clothing and other things to us, and having all kinds of social events.  One of the "friends" families once had a "clown party" where all the kids dressed up as clowns... I still have pictures of us with paint on our faces, big stuffed clothes and striped socks... we looked hilarious!

Anyway, we’d occasionally get a treat… whenever mom or one of the brothers and sisters were fortunate enough to get free or very discounted tickets, AND it didn’t interfere with our “going to religious meetings” schedule, AND it didn’t interfere with our getting our homework done (although there were a few occasions where we were allowed to delay doing our homework so we could attend something, usually an event planned by one or more of our “brothers or sisters”).

The Circus was always a treat, and I loved the whole thing.  I have to say the clowns were the best because EVERYONE in the family would be just laughing out loud… grinning ear to ear and glancing at each other with a “did you SEE that?” look on their faces.  No one was sad or unhappy... it was a time of complete joy.  I’ll never forget one time when about 15 or 20 clowns got out of one of those tiny cars they drive into the ring… they just kept tumbling or falling out of that thing!  It seemed impossible to get that many in one car… at least to my young mind. (To this day I suspect they had to park the car over some kind of trap door where clowns just kept coming up into the car so they could tumble out of it and amaze us.)

I did understand a little better, years later, when my dad loaned me his orange VW Bug one evening in Puerto Rico.  My sister and I crammed about 9 people in there… we all wanted to get to this awesome club in Isabella (the next town over from ours), called “Vista Mar” (View of the Ocean).  We made it just fine, and we laughed the whole time... some people sitting on other's laps, hunched over in that tiny space.  We had a blast!  That was the night I won a dance contest… but that’s another story.

While I lived in Las Vegas, NV I would occasionally go to Circus Circus Hotel and Casino… either for the buffet dinner (they have the biggest plates on the strip (they're pink), and an extremely varied menu on their buffet… plus they’re one of the most affordable… there’s no beating their breakfast buffet either… at least, there wasn’t 10 years ago when I lived there)… or to go to the indoor Amusement Park there.  There are Circus acts going on in several places there all the time… 24/7… and I’d stop often to watch them.  The acts were free, and  when I had my nephews with me we’d wait and catch the next act together… we all loved it.  The looks on their little faces, turned up eagerly, with amazement and wonder in their eyes, was the best part for me... that made it even more special.

A few days ago I saw discounted tickets to the Circus displayed on a counter in a store.   It was about to perform here in our little town and I mentioned it to B.  He laughed at me for wanting to go, but I said that I had good memories of the Circus, and I thought it might be fun for us to go together.  He looked at me like I was just being silly, so I just let it drop, thinking it wasn’t worth trying to defend my childish desire to see it, and feeling like perhaps I WAS just being silly... me all grown up, 40 years old, and wanting to go to the circus.

About two days before the Circus was to perform B surprised me by telling me he had bought tickets to it and planned to take me (inside I was doing the happy dance).  He also had free tickets for children under 12 and said he wouldn’t mind if we brought my girlfriend’s daughter with us as he knew I’d have more fun being a kid with her than I would with him… he won’t often let his “inner child” out to play with me… not any more… not since he’s gotten sober.  I guess I understand that because he feels he has to maintain control or he might “lose it”… and I don’t want to encourage him in any bad directions.  I grinned ear to ear and thanked him... actually I think I did a little hippity hop of joy too, and I began looking forward to it immediately.

We went ahead and invited little Skye (she’s 8 years old), once I made sure it was ok with her mom, and when Skye asked if her friend could come too (the little friend offered to buy her own ticket), we had no problem with that, and we had an extra free ticket, so it was fine.  They each were told by their parents that they'd have a few dollars to spend while we were there,  which excited them even more...and so it was set.

I picked them up on the day of the event, and B went to see if he had to get in line or anything, and he’d wait for us at the Circus.  Before I could meet him B called me to let me know how TINY the tent was, and how little the whole Circus was… how few things there were to do (he did mention that he was watching someone riding a camel and that I should hurry because he wanted to se ME up on that thing... I laughed and said I didn't THINK so).  I said I didn’t mind that it was so small, and he said ok, he’d wait for me in the parking lot.

We arrived a few minutes later, and B was right… there was a very small tent and very few other things to do, but I was determined to have a good time, and as neither of the girls had ever been to a Circus before, I decided that they'd have a good time too, no matter what I had to do to make that happen.

The first thing I did was give them each a dollar to go see the “biggest snake” in it’s cage, and they came back talking about how thick it was and Skye said “you know… it had to be at least 50 FEET long” as she held her arms out to her sides to demonstrate, her eyes huge in her face and the excitement just oozing out of her.  Her little friend's eyes were just as big and she nodded excitedly in agreement.

I was impressed with how “thrifty” Skye and her little friend were.  I overheard them discussing just how they were going to spend their “five dollars and fifty cents each if we put our money together and share it evenly”.  They found out the prices of the balloons and the light up swords, and they compared it with the soda and popcorn prices... their little heads together looking down at the money they each held while deciding what was most important.

There was a petting zoo of sorts, and a wheel with donkeys tied to it to give kids rides… going round and round in circles.  Skye looked at the prices, $5 to ride, or “hey, it’s only one dollar to feed the animals… let’s do that instead of riding, ok?”  I took pictures of them feeding the goats (very happy fat goats).  They were just a little disappointed that they weren’t allowed to feed the donkeys on the wheel, having thought originally that the food was for them, but had fun with the other animals instead. The girls took pictures with the snake "ewww it felt so weird!" and with a small alligator "you know, it had this thing on it's mouth... like, wrapped around it... so it couldn't bite us" (this was courtesy of B who aparently, is as much a push over when it comes to seeing little kids having fun as I am... he couldn't resist, even though each picture was $5). 

They ate popcorn, snow cones, peanuts, cotton candy, and had soda to wash it all down.  B and I couldn't help it... if they wanted it, and it wasn't too expensive (most things were $1 or $2) we had to get it for them.  The went home loaded with balloons, coloring books, pictures, junk food, candles, and huge smiles.

When the Circus Master called for a little girl and a little boy "with big smiles on their faces, and only the ones sitting in their seats with their hands up will be considered", he looked over and chose Skye, and a little boy sitting behind us.  She was ecstatic!  It was so cute... her up there trying to get these rings apart while the act was going on all around her... she'd look up occasionally to see the new ring formation... a long trail of them... several connected and being held overhead... a triangle of them... a square... she could never get hers together (which was the point), and soon hers were swept up and included in the act.  It was perfect.  She was precious, and she got a black balloon twisted up in the shape of a poodle for her efforts.

All in all, we had a wonderful time.  I even caught B laughing at the clowns antics (when he thought I wasn’t watching), and a couple of times even he was visibly impressed with some of the “feats” of the performers.  There was the eating of fire (and spitting it out again, of course… usually at us in the audience), and juggling of various articles (hats, pins, cups, cones, etc)… there were balancing acts and dramatic twirling of large objects… there were animals, fat little goats, a camel, horses… all being coaxed into doing their acts by a valiant “Ms Miranda” (who had obviously been in the circus a bit longer than usual, though she must not have realized she didn’t have her younger girly figure anymore… judging by the skin tight black dress she wore), and of course, there were clowns between the acts (playing cops and robbers, swallowing whistles, tumbling over each other, and of course, making fun of the Ring Master), shameless pushing of treats and items for sale by the Circus' Ring Master, and the final act… a young lady twisting and twirling and flipping over and over within a metal circle suspended from the top of the center of the “Big Top”.

The Ring Master had a few things to tell us, and one of them was that his act is one of only 8 Circuses in the United States left that perform in a tent... the rest of them do so in buildings now... and this is the last season that one of the other ones, one of the oldest performing Circuses in our country, will be seen as they're closing after this season.  I found that a little sad, although I understand it must be so much easier to perform in a building.  I'm sure it's easier to have larger, more intricate, modern acts and the performers attempting them probably feel safer too.  The razzle dazzle of lights and special effects are probably much easier to achieve as well when you have a good source of electricity and something sturdy to affix them to, rather than just a generator and a floppy tent.

I enjoy the larger Circuses too, don't get me wrong, but I think there's something special about the smaller ones.  There's a personal touch to it... being right up front, close to the performers.  There's a sense of being PART of it all... you don't get that at the big events. 

I thoroughly enjoyed it all, and am thrilled that we got to go.  I look forward to going again next year, if the little “Lewis and Clark Circus in the Big Top” makes it back here.