The Circus

It was a slow day slacklining at the park for me. I was on the line, playing around, listening to music and generally just having a good time. Every now and then I would catch someone’s attention, but some reason most people seem not to notice me floating a few feet in the air. Some walk a few feet away from me without even acknowledging the line exists at all. Not to mention there is someone walking on it. This blows my mind more than anything. Even knowing how to slackline myself I find myself still amazed by it every day. I find it quite ridiculous that it’s even possible.

After an hour or so I catch the attention of some older man in the park who’s going by. I’d just fallen off the line. He opened the conversation with “do you perform anywhere?”. I was baffled. The kind of baffled that makes me shake my head rapidly and make the sound “bbbbbbbb”.

In my head I’m not performing at all, I’ma having fun and enjoying the flow. In the split second it took me to process the question, I do realize, I put on a performance for people. I respond, telling him, “nah I don’t perform anywhere, I do this for sport”. I think I probably confused him just as much as he confused me. In fact, I’m not even sure he processed what I meant in that moment. He then tells me something to the effect of “well, good luck, someone’s gonna notice your talent”. I can only imagine in his head believing I’m an act, and I guess I am. I laughed to myself and moved on, not thinking much of it as I got back on the line.

I walked across to the other side and another man notices me. He seems to be a man in his fifties with some warby parker looking tortoise glasses and stylish grey hair. Something like an artist type.Quickly we get to chatting and he asks me some questions like, “do you live near here?”, “do you come here often?”. I tell him yes, and that I had just got back from a trip, so I do come here, but it’s been a while since I’ve been. He mentioned to me that he had just moved here.

Suddenly the conversation changes. He tells me he runs the circus and hands me a flyer and invites me to come. Stunned I take the flyer. He is explaining some of the acts as I try to keep up. Trying to understand what the hell just happened. I go along, still utterly surprised. I tell him I really would like to learn how to juggle and I would love to show more people how to slackline if he’s interested. He doesn’t say much else, other than to come by some time.

I am beside myself, confused, ecstatic, grateful, and laughing my pants off. I guess I am a circus performer.

This series of events had to be some kind of joke from the universe. The timing of these events. Laughing off being a performer, only to be seen as a performer from someone in the industry. The closeness of these events was just hilarious and I can only be thankful for them happening in such a way. It’s quite mysterious how “coincidences” happen sometimes. The energy is just there.

A few days later I was walking home from the local burrito joint and I run into this

Found the circus. Guess I’m going Tuesday (thanks Dave for the push)

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