I never outgrew my love of the circus. I always dreamed about running away and playing keyboard in the pit band. Instead, I ended up holding down a real job, but there are those days when I still dream about it.
I had friends who ran an old-fashioned 3-ring circus under the big tent. It didn’t have all the lights and glamor of the Ringling Brothers, but it was very exciting because you were right there.
You could smell the sawdust as one of the Flying Wallendas walked across the tightrope without a net right above you.
He would take every step so very carefully. You could see every muscle movement as he positioned his foot on the rope.
OMG! He wobbled! Don’t fall!
But he would regain his footing and make it to the end. The crowd would go wild!
And there were the Death Spheres, where daredevil motorcyclists crisscrossed each other at breathtaking speeds. You were always on the edge of your seat because you just knew that there was going to be a crash.
One motorcycle. And then another. And then there were three! The speed. The roaring of the engines. It was terrifying and exhilarating.
To counter the adrenaline rush of the roaring motorcycles, clowns would tumble out of the cars and rush into the crowd with their buckets of confetti. It helped you relax before the next death-defying act.
A shirtless, muscled man would come out carrying a whip. And then the tiger would be released. A fierce beast. But the man would crack the whip and tame it. Triumph!
The Master of the Three Rings was the most enchanting. He was in control of everything. In ring one … he would shout and point. Then to ring two. And then high above you. He was mesmerizing.
The lives that we lead now can be a bit mundane and often jaded. Been there, done that. Need a new T-shirt?
I would lose myself under that big tent. I knew what was going on and I knew what was about to happen, yet I enjoyed it all as if it were happening for the very first time.
The old circuses have folded. The tents are gone. The animals are being cared for in sanctuaries.
Still, there are times when I want to run away and join the circus.
A boy can still dream, can’t he?
