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Once a clown, always a clown

Believe it or not, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.Like did you know I can whip up a balloon animal in a matter of seconds? Or that I am a whiz at riding tiny bicycles. And at one point in my life, I had an alter ego known as Lola the clown and I ambled all over Central Alberta clowning around at various farmers markets and events.

Believe it or not, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.

Like did you know I can whip up a balloon animal in a matter of seconds? Or that I am a whiz at riding tiny bicycles. And at one point in my life, I had an alter ego known as Lola the clown and I ambled all over Central Alberta clowning around at various farmers markets and events.

Yes, it was a strange point in my life but I shall forever hold those wacky memories dear to my heart.

I was taken back to that time a few nights ago when Jamie, the kids and I decided to visit the circus. There was a small production being held in the Benalto Rodeo grounds. Lars and Sophie had yet to experience the magic and wonder of the circus world so it was a no brainer to pack them up and hit the road.

As we pulled into the grounds and spotted the big top, Lars yelled in a giddy, glee-filled tone: “There it is Sophie! There’s the circus!” We all let out a jolly good laugh, proceeded to park the car and then skipped gaily towards the ticket booth.

The mood changed slightly when the children hopped up on a nearby bouncy house and a woman, heavily clad in makeup and sequins, advised me that that would be $3 each. I hesitantly obliged, trying to remember the last time I had to pay for the use of a communal bouncy house. Meanwhile Jamie was paying $20 per ticket and trying his damndest not to fly into an outrage over how expensive the circus had become. We hadn’t even made it inside yet.

There is no mistaking the outside world for the world beneath a circus canopy. As soon as we slipped under the tent, we were struck with those proverbial music notes of the circus. You know the ones that always seem to hit your ear with just the right amount of eeriness. Small, overzealous children were shrieking with joy while tossing their glow-in-the-dark sticks high in the air, obviously thrilled to be where they were.

And a clammy musk — that I could only imagine to be the excess breath of all of the other patrons packed into the small area — floated lazily throughout the air. We crammed into the bleacher type seats (that I still am baffled were able to support us in their wobbly state) and proceeded to watch the show.

There was more selling of overpriced goods, but luckily the children were too mesmerized by the show to get sucked into any of that. And I must say, despite any misgivings I may have been feeling about the expense and safety of our outing, all of them quickly flitted away once the show began. There was a contortionist who I’m sure blew the minds of every person there — she was elegant and surreal. There was an acrobat who made his way up a 20-foot-high stack of chairs by means of handstand floored every person in the place (no pun intended). And the aerial acrobat who spun and tossed on two long, beautiful scarves that hung high from the rafters was definitely a sight to see. At one point, I looked over to Lars and as his eyes were glued to the performers a barely audible “Wow” escaped his lips. It was then that I knew he was hooked.

When the fire eater came out, Sophie really got intrigued. “Dad, he’s eating the fire!” She whispered excitedly as the man swallowed up gulps of the hot stuff.

As we drove home, the kids couldn’t stop talking about the circus. We had opened a bag of worms and there was no going back. Now for an undetermined amount of time, everything they did would be in relation to the circus. The circus this … the circus that. … If I knew my kids, and I know I do, it would be a long few days of circus talk.

And just as this thought crossed my mind, Lars piped up and said, “I don’t think I want to be a dentist when I grow up anymore. I’m going to work at the circus.”

I thought about Lola the clown and all of the fun and adventure she had in her few short years of existence.

It made me hope that one day he will bring his dream of circus employment to fruition … at least for a little while, that is.

Lindsay Brown is a Sylvan Lake mother of two and freelance columnist.