I often wonder how much of the circus I actually saw since I had my eyes closed half the time. I was always afraid that someone would fall off the high wire or one of the animals would catch on fire as they performed their famous jumps through the burning hoops. I enjoyed the circus parade the most with all the glitz and glimmer and the beautiful ladies. The bright and colorful costumes were eye-catching. I always wanted to be a trapeze artist and wear a pretty costume when I was young. The closest I ever came to that was wearing a costume in a ballet recital.

When I was first introduced to the circus, I remember how excited we got at the "freak show" that surrounded the outer walkway of the ring. I was amazed at the sword sallower, the flame eater, the bearded lady, the snake charmer, the tattoo man, and the freaks of nature.

I'm 52 years young and still enjoy the circus. I don't think I'll ever outgrow this rare form of entertainment that has survived for more than 150 years.