As a child, going to the circus was an annual tradition. I loved watching the elephants, tigers, clowns, acrobats and the trapeze artists. The circus is a fantasy-world that inspires the imagination. For days afterwards, I would pretend to be an animal trainer or dress up like a clown.
As the years went by, I felt that I had outgrown the circus. I went when I was a college student, and the circus just seemed so small…so predictable…even boring. But my son’s birth had a transformative effect on me. I’m ready to relive my childhood excitement and to see the world through his innocent eyes.
A few weeks ago, I took my son and goddaughters (ages 9 & 10) to the newest Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Show- Zing Zang Zoom. (Disclosure: we received free tickets from MomCentral.) We were spellbound by magic tricks and illusions as impressive as a Vegas spectacular. An elephant disappeared before our eyes, and a man suspended in a cage above the arena transformed into a tiger. Traditional circus acts by clowns, elephants, tigers, lions, zebras, horses and dogs captured our imagination.
And we were awestruck the feats of bravery by human cannonballs, high-wire acrobats, trapeze artists and more. In one of the more amazing acts, two people walked around upside down on the ceiling. The illusion was so convincing because even the adults present couldn’t figure out how it was performed.
If you haven’t been to the circus recently, it’s time to relive your childhood and to make some new memories with your children. Zing Zang Zoom is currently touring. You can view the tour schedule at www.ringling.com.
