There’s nothing like this in Iowa
Photo credit: Robert Sanson
It’s astounding how time is fleeting and madness takes its toll. A couple of days ago, I realized that it had only been two weeks since Smirkus left home-base in Greensboro, VT. TWO WEEKS! This was so hard to fathom because it feels like the show has been on the road for several months. How could this time warp be so prevalent at the circus?
When we first hit the road, I started to notice that I was losing track of time, and I continually had to look at a calendar to remind myself what day of the week it was. Everyone around me seemed to have the same quandary.
Maybe living with the circus somehow magically slows down time. Maybe it is because our days are so long — breakfast at 8, trouper load-in at 10, lunch at 11, show at 1, dinner at 4, show at 6. Wash, rinse and repeat. Could it be that we live in a paradigm where the circus happens on the weekend and living in a circus community means that everyday is the weekend?
Whatever it may be, the outcome makes you appreciate life a little bit more. During the year, I live in a chaotic, fast-paced world where I don’t often get a chance (or don’t bother) to stop and notice the beauty that surrounds me. Circus life, even with its crazy pace, enables me to stop, look and listen, by blurring the boundaries of time, culture and geography.
On an outing off-lot recently, some of us went into town to run errands and have time to ourselves. I was struck by the tall mountains hugging the town’s shoulders and I said, “there’s nothing like this in Iowa.” Later that afternoon, I told someone we were with that I would love the circus lot to be closer to town, so I could get up and run some errands if I wanted. She replied, “Was it not just this morning that you said how gorgeous the mountain-scape surrounding us was? How would you appreciate it if you were surrounded by buildings?”
And I just let that sink in.
Best,
Alex
Tour Communications Intern
alex@smirkus.org