I want to run away with the circus..

Elephants and camels and tigers, oh my!

Published on May 1, 2004 By dharmagrl In Misc

I took my children to the circus this afternoon. It was their first circus (my first circus too), and the first time they had seen an elephant up close and personal. They rode on the elephants, talked to the clowns, admired the camels and horses, oohed and ahhed over the tigers and their act...overall a good time was had by all. The highlight for me was the look on their faces when an act they found particularly wonderful came on...they literally glowed with happiness. One of the elephants trumpeted during their show, and Jake (my 7 year old) turned to me with a look of what I can only describe as sheer joy on his face and said "He tooted his trunk, mom!"

I got to thinking during the performance, about how wonderful it would be to run away with the circus. It would fulfill many wants and desires...I could play dress up every day, I could perform in front of an appreciative audience...I'd be on the road fulfilling my wanderlust, seeing different places, meeting different people. The smell of sawdust and the roar of the crowd...working with exotic animals...the magic that is the circus. What a wonderful life.....

...or not. Always on the road, no time to get attached to anyone or anything..living out of a suitcase, basically. Having to get dressed up and perform with a smile on your face even if you don't feel like it or don't feel well. Always being afraid of getting injured during a performance because that could be the end of your career, rehearsing every single day for hours and hours, never having anytime for yourself, no time to relax. Having to scoop up tiger and camel and elephant poo, having to groom them and feed them and clean out their cages...and worst of all, knowing all of the tricks and behind-the-scenes happenings. Seeing exactly how the animals are coerced, maybe even abused to get them to perform....a sure-fire way to strip any and all magic away.

On second thoughts, I'm happy just where I'm at.

Comments

JillUser

on May 01, 2004

The last time I went to the circus it made me sad to go behind the big top and see all of the animals chained up. I liked Disney better because the animals in the shows were people pretending to be animals (Lion King) and they knowingly signed up for the job. The circus is only magical for young kids who don't know what goes on behind the scenes.

dharmagrl

on May 01, 2004

Umm...don't laugh, but I apologized to an elephant after the show today. This is why I haven't gone to a circus before now; I was really anti-performing animals. I still am.

Joan of Arc

on May 01, 2004

I was happy to read the second part of the post. thought maybe the next blog would be "off to the circus"

Tractorman

dharmagrl

on May 01, 2004

Nah, I'm too in love with my husband and too devoted to my kids to do that.

I couldn't work around the animals, either...I'd be too tempted to set them all free.

Janders

on May 02, 2004

"I couldn't work around the animals, either...I'd be too tempted to set them all free."

Is this because you are such a free spirit? You can always bring me a smile!

dharmagrl

on May 02, 2004

I'd be tempted to set them all free because I think that the majority of them are miserable being kept in little cages and made to perform. I think they'd be much happier in their natural habitat. The problem is they've been performing for so long that they've lost a lot of their natural instincts and I doubt they'd last very long in the wild. I'd like to put them all in a zoo, where they wouldn't have to perform, would be somewhat free to wander around in a more suitable environment and would be safe(er).

Thanks...you always manage to make me grin too.

JillUser

on May 02, 2004

dharma, I wouldn't laugh at you for apologizing to an elephant. Sounds exactly how I reacted. The elephants really got to me because I know how intelligent they are and they looked so sad chained up. I'm with you, I would want to set the animals free. I think they probably frown upon that in the circus

dharmagrl

on May 02, 2004

The elephants really got to me because I know how intelligent they are and they looked so sad chained up.

That's exactly it. They DID look sad, and it made me sad to see such magnificent animals reduced to trudging around with people on their backs and doing headstands for human entertainment.

I was talking to Dave about it earlier, and I have decided that if we ever win the lottery I'm opening a retirement home for circus elephants. I'd love to be able to give them a peaceful place to live, somewhere to be free and not have to perform for anyone or anything.

BlueDev

on May 02, 2004

Wow, it has been years since I went to the circus last. So long, in fact, that I do'nt remember how old I even was. Glad your kids enjoyed it. I am sure mine would love it. Right now we are looking forward to the Australia addition they are doing to the zoo out here. Once that is done they will have representations of lots of the continents and the kids will surely get a kick out of that.

dharmagrl

on May 02, 2004

Man, it's been years since I went to the zoo.....10 years this month, actually. There aren't any zoos or wildlife parks where we live; the closest one is in Denver and that's a good 7 hours drive away.

However...we're going back to England this fall, and I'm planning to take my kids to London Zoo, Windsor Safari Park, Whipsnade Zoo....any and everywhere.

I still want to open a retirement home for circus elephants, though.

Gene Nash

on May 06, 2004

>> Always on the road, no time to get attached to anyone or
>> anything..living out of a suitcase, basically. Having to
>> get dressed up and perform with a smile on your face even
>> if you don't feel like it or don't feel well. Always being
>> afraid of getting injured during a performance because
>> that could be the end of your career, rehearsing every
>> single day for hours and hours, never having anytime for
>> yourself, no time to relax.

*sniff-sniff* Dang, you're making me nostalgic for the road. *sniff-sniff*

I'm glad your kids enjoyed their first circus. I wish my attempt had turned out as well.

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