April 20, 2009
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El Zagal Shrine Circus… A Surprisingly Moving Moment
Usually when I go out with my Client, we go to McDonald’s. She plays in the Playplace with the other children, making new friends. We sometimes take coloring books into the student union and color for a few hours. There are even times we just watch television and dance around her living room. Once, we spent four hours in the library playing with the blocks and Legos, momentarily working through a children’s computer game. This past Sunday, however, I had the opportunity to go to the circus.
Just to be frank, I hate the circus for a few reasons:
1) I hate the smell of the animals.
2) Large animals make me nervous.
3) I think making bears walk on their hind feet is cruel.
4) I lack the imagination I had when I was a child that allowed me to appreciate acrobatic feats.
5) They rob you of every penny you have.I arrived at the Fargodome with my client. We entered the stadium and went to find some food. After getting our snacks, we headed into the actual seating area and found a seat high enough to see everything clearly. We sat and waited for a long time for the show to start. When the lights finally dimmed, they did the usual thanking and acknowledging. They had us stand for the national anthem… That’s when I started to get choked up. I thought to myself: “You’re so silly. How are you choked up over this?” We sat down, and they started the show proper. I watched the first half of the circus as if I was a child again. I was amazed at the acrobats and the bears. I gasped as the magicians performed these simple tricks and quick-changes. I was teary-eyed for over an hour and all because I hadn’t been to the circus since I was ten or twelve.
Have you had an experience like mine? One that made you feel like a kid again?
