Life is a Circus

This morning I walked up to Ronald McDonald and said, "Hi Ronald!" and he said, "Hi! Hey, I know you! You're Ali!" He was in the park where I run to help warm up the children and start off a run to raise money for and organization that helps single moms.

We took a few photos, Ronald and my sweaty self and then my sister and I went on our way finishing the run/walk intervals for the day.

About two months ago I went to go see some friends perform on a static trapeze. Not the flying trapeze of the lyrical songs about love but one of those trapeze that may not be too far off the ground and wasn't meant to go flying through the air.

Can I just say that by the end of it my jaw was on the floor and I poked at the softer parts of my body with the acknowledging nod that in life, in nature, we were made to hunt and run and gather and those soft parts I was poking have been set as a newly created standard for normal in an era of sitting in front of computers and spending time in cars going places instead of walking or running to get there?

I watched as my friends wrapped themselves around the rope and the bar and swing around in loops and one finished by hanging by the back of his neck from the trapeze without using his hands. Amazing.

And you know what? We can all learn how to do the same thing. The place is called Kinetic Theory Circus Arts and it's in Culver City, CA. They have classes.

It's tempting...until I realize that when I hang from the bar with my arms fully extended and they request that I pull myself up, my response will be..."I am pulling myself up, can't you tell?"

It's been awhile since I've gone rock climbing so my muscles have gotten soft.

Ah, well. If we all joined who would come to watch and jiggle their body fat in awe?

Another friend has just been offered a job as a clown in Cirque du Soliel's KA show in Vegas at the MGM Grand. It's a wonderful opportunity for her and it's an exciting adventure.

My hats off to these men and women. Because getting those jobs and performing those feats takes years of more than just clowning around.