I just finished the book Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. I LOVED it. It's been a while since I found a book this engaging, this enjoyable from cover to cover. It was well written and well researched, with interesting characters and a good plot. Best of all? It was all about the circus!
There is just something about the circus. Something dreamy, something magical. Even knowing that some of it is pure illusion, there is still a lot of hard work and the feats that people and animals can do is just amazing.
Londo's never been to the actual circus. When we were in grad school in Georgia, the circus was coming to town. I really wanted to take him, but he said he wanted to wait and go his first time with his own kids. That was so sweet that I didn't push it, even though I would have really enjoyed going to the circus. (A few years later, we did go to a Cirque du Soleil show, and though absolutely amazing, it's not the same as an actual circus.)
So I've been waiting... until we had kids... until the kids were old enough... still waiting, but the time is getting closer.
In fact, just yesterday, the Pumpkin was pretending that we were in a circus. She put the booster seat on the ground and stood on it like she was the ring master, and she called out to me and the Pookie, "Okay guys! We are in the circus. We are going to do tricks. Mommy, you go first!"
So I did some jumps and then bowed while she clapped. Then she did some silly dance, and we clapped. Then we got the Pookie to stomp his foot, which he does when someone says "stomp." He stomps one foot while saying, "stomp stomp stomp." And we clapped for him. It was great fun. But not nearly as much fun as we'll have after they've seen their first real circus! I can't wait to see what tricks they pretend to do then!
This week's question of the week is:
If you were in the circus and could do anything, what act/trick would you want to do?
Although I love the idea of doing an act with animals, I have always wished that I could be a trapeze artist. All that swinging and flying around from bar to bar. Flipping in the air and getting caught (hopefully!) and swung again. It sounds thrilling! I have heard that there is a camp or something that you can take somewhere where you can learn to swing on a trapeze. Maybe someday I can at least do that.
What about you? What would your circus act be? Did you ever dream of running off to join the circus? Did you ever threaten to send the kids (or pets) to the circus? I've done both, although not the latter actually to the kids. Yet. Heh.
8 comments:
Trapeze artist!
I think the trapeze stuff looks fun, though, though an animal act would probably be more likely. I have the upper body strength of a wet spaghetti noodle.
I have some friends from college who do this:
http://www.americanyouthcircus.org/
with their kids. The whole family. It's pretty awesome.
knowing me, i wouldn't be an act. I'd be a behind the scenes person: Set design, animal care, or (most likely) pyrotechnical specialist.
I mean, me and "BOOM" just go together.
Yeah I'm kind of like Becoming Mommy... not really into the circus acts but could do something behind the scenes. I could PLAN me a mean circus show, as long as I didn't have to be it in, you know? :)
I also read Water for Elephants, about a year ago maybe? I seem to think it was before Annie was born. Anyway I totally loved it, learned a lot about circus life, and thought the story was fantastic, I just could't put it down! It was a great book!
I'm with @Becoming Mommy- I'd be the (probably underappreciated) behind the scenes person who makes sure everything is working.
But I'd dream about being the pretty girl doing tricks on a horse!
Cara,
I have to share here, when we were in graduate school, my husband performed for two years in the FSU Flying High circus. He had two acts but got to try lots of them. It is so much fun now to pull that triva out, especially with people who have met my shy introverted husband!
Kate
I would want to be the people who do trapeze type tricks on the long piece of fabric. I believe that they call it "tissue," but I could be wrong. There was a place that taught it when I was in graduate school and it was so cool to watch.
What I would really like to run away and join is Bellydance Superstars...and just to tease me...they recently had an open call of dancers. I asked my hubby, but he wasn't too keen on the idea. ;-)
If you want to learn about circus life, PBS has been airing a show called "Circus" and it follows the Big Apple Circus and all its characters. It is quite interesting.
I guess if I just don't think about the fact that the elephants probably aren't having as much fun as we think they are, I'd say riding around standing on an elephant would be my choice.
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