Under The Big Top

For the past few weeks in the subway I've seen this PBS miniseries advertised called Circus. Since I was a little kid, I always thought it'd be amazing to join a circus. Who didn't, right? I remember checking out a book about a kid in the circus from my elementary school library in New Jersey and wished the book was about me. My parents took me to Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's Circus a few times. I was obsessed for weeks after seeing those. I taped the series Fire Within about putting together a Cirque du Soleil show (yeah, who needs to pay $31.99 for it? Not me!). Fascinating!

Point is, since I've seen the advertisements I've been waiting in anticipation for the miniseries to start. The show started at 9:00. It's now 9:03 and already I feel my jealousy building.

I've decided I'd want to be a flyer on the trapeze if I was in the circus. (I've also decided if I was an Olympian, I'd want to be a freestyle aerialist. This is funny since I have a fear of falling from heights. Maybe my subconcious desire is to face that fear?) One of the flyers they are interviewing just said most of them are born into it. I could be a minority!

WHOA! This other girl just said she's 9th generation circus meaning her family has been in the circus for about 200 years. Isn't that amazing? Some people are farmers because their parents are farmers, some people are in the circus because their parents are in the circus. This girl is the horse act. Interesting fact just learned from her: trick riding on horses originated with Genghis Kahn.

So... anyone want to run away and join the circus with me?