July 13, Dalton.
There was a luncheon with the American Legion sponsors today, as there is every year here, and Carolyn was asked to make a speech.
She recalled her years working in the circus, and capped the speech reminiscing about high school. "My guidance counselor asked me what I wanted to do after school and I told her I wanted to be in the circus. She said, Now, Carolyn, there is a difference between reality and fantasy, and she was right: reality is so much more beautiful than I could have imagined."
Forget fantasy: long days and endless work, an uncertain future and lots of mud on the sole of your shoes, the circus is all that but that's not why you fall in love with it.
It's the beautiful reality of it.
It's much more beautiful. And as with the people you love, the beauty is in your eyes. For me it's the beauty of the ebb and flow, the light on the tent, the sweat on a performer's brow, the places seen from my window, the roundness of the ring.
It's much more beautiful for being lived.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Friday, July 12, 2013
A handful of history.
July 10, Hudson.
A rare day off and we're off to downtown Boston, Fridman to see the trove of historical places, I to reminisce on a visit to the same places a quarter of a century ago, or so it seems, as a student making my way around the country checking out arts museum for a dissertation in U.S. civilization.
I remember a quiet place, wandering the streets; we walked for hours amid the bustling of the downtown commerce, the only quiet place the cemetery at Copp's Hill I wanted to see for having missed it back then, Cotton Mather's tomb, all the Puritan figures I had eagerly read about in my history classes, and loved. The kids trudged along courageously, largely ignorant of what all these boring buildings and plaques mean, asking for something fun, finally getting ice-cream.
They'll remember some of it I hope, however vaguely, when they get to study American history and it all starts making sense.
A rare day off and we're off to downtown Boston, Fridman to see the trove of historical places, I to reminisce on a visit to the same places a quarter of a century ago, or so it seems, as a student making my way around the country checking out arts museum for a dissertation in U.S. civilization.
I remember a quiet place, wandering the streets; we walked for hours amid the bustling of the downtown commerce, the only quiet place the cemetery at Copp's Hill I wanted to see for having missed it back then, Cotton Mather's tomb, all the Puritan figures I had eagerly read about in my history classes, and loved. The kids trudged along courageously, largely ignorant of what all these boring buildings and plaques mean, asking for something fun, finally getting ice-cream.
They'll remember some of it I hope, however vaguely, when they get to study American history and it all starts making sense.
Tuesday, July 09, 2013
Mac down.
July 9, Merrimac.
My Mac has been down for two days; I felt like an amputee.
It finally came back to life this morning, but not the adapter I use to download pictures, which also started malfunctioning at the same time.
Hence the empty trailer views.
A ghost trailer, void trace of our tech slavery.
My Mac has been down for two days; I felt like an amputee.
It finally came back to life this morning, but not the adapter I use to download pictures, which also started malfunctioning at the same time.
Hence the empty trailer views.
A ghost trailer, void trace of our tech slavery.
A trailer with a view.
Thursday, July 04, 2013
Web.
These being circus kids, they couldn't help but play in the web ropes before the Fourth games began.
The Fourth.
We celebrated the Fourth last night, with again Lamount as master of ceremonies.
Good times of a little on the hot and muggy side.
Wednesday, July 03, 2013
Hot, cold and no school.
July 3, Swanzey.
It got cold yesterday, lovely cool and misty again, but today we're back in the heat of summer.
We'll be celebrating the Fourth after the shows tonight, so the shows were set at week end schedule, two and five o clock, for there are three shows tomorrow.
I didn't do school this morning as circus school is in recess and all the kids were running around playing outside right by our trailer, too tempting for Dylan and Nicolas. I have to learn to let go, for surely they'll be fine without one day of readingwritingmath with an overdose of bribing.
It got cold yesterday, lovely cool and misty again, but today we're back in the heat of summer.
We'll be celebrating the Fourth after the shows tonight, so the shows were set at week end schedule, two and five o clock, for there are three shows tomorrow.
I didn't do school this morning as circus school is in recess and all the kids were running around playing outside right by our trailer, too tempting for Dylan and Nicolas. I have to learn to let go, for surely they'll be fine without one day of readingwritingmath with an overdose of bribing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
