I took the boys to a Shriners circus today with my mom and my friend Tivoli (thank goodness I had reinforcements, even with a 3-2 adult/child ratio, Owen managed to douse several strangers with melted snowcone). I remember loving the circus when i was little, but the last time I went to see Ringling Bros as an adult, it seemed sort of removed, like watching it on TV. Could have been the cheap seats, but it also seemed like sensory overload. I know that's sort of the point, but I have enough trouble focusing on one thing at a time.
So, the Shriners circus. First of all, what is up with the hats? No kidding, they kind of freak me out. I have a friend who is freaked out by carnies, but I think that Shriners are scarier, because they seem more organized. Like the hats might just be the outward manifestation of a much deeper and more ominous underground purpose. Fortunately, the Shriners themselves played a sort of background role today, allowing me to enjoy the circus itself.
Highlights were the elephant ride with my 4-year-old (can NOT believe he actually went through with it), the two muscle-y guys who did some kind of aerial Pilates from thick ribbons hung from a high wire, and the motorcyle CAGE OF DEATH (Tivoli especially liked the cage of death and wants one for her own, though she admits to having no practical use for it). Less impressive were the wheel-o-peacocks (who comes up with these things? 6 peacocks on perches on a mini-Ferris wheel? Seems like an ornithological outrage), the announcer/emcee guy, and the guy who stood on top of what looked like 6" cardboard tubes - anything I think I could do at home doesn't qualify for circus entertainment.
Overall, it was a ton of fun, and the kids had a great time, and we stopped at Dairy Queen on the way back - DQ always puts me in a good mood, but even more so when I've been out of the reach of modern amenities like fast food for several weeks. The drive back was just about as fun as the circus, because Tivoli told Justin a convoluted version of the 3 little pigs in which the pigs are named Clyde, Fred, and George and the wolf is Levi, and because Justin watered a rock in a really artistic fashion when we stopped to let him pee on the side of the road not 10 minutes after he used the bathroom at DQ. Good times.
Monday, July 18, 2005
Shriners are wacky
Posted by Debbi at 2:28 AM
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1 comments:
My husband's a Shriner.
The Fez is just part of the costume. Just a traditional thing. They cost a TON and identify you as part of what group you're from.
The whole point of the circus is to raise money for the children's hospitals. If your child ever gets a bad burn or has an orthopedic problem, you can get treatment for free because of those wacky guys in the hats.
Shriners are Masons first, and you'll never find a better group of men. For instance, I carry a card identifying myself as a Mason's wife. If I'm ever in dire need of help or distress of any kind, from a flat tire to whatever, and my husband's not able to help me, every Mason is honor bound to do what he can to help me. It's not a religious organization but you do have to believe in God.
They put in countless hours just getting to be a Mason, then many more before they're allowed to be part of the Shriners. It costs an incredible amount of money to buy the costumes and the little cars and such. I personally know a LOT of these men. I've been to their conventions, which are way better than any circus.
They're great people who love acting like kids to try to make kids happy while raising money to heal other children free of charge. Wacky? Yes, but you'd be surprised at how boringly normal they are when they get back to the hotel. They are in bed by 10 pm, considering their average age is probably something like 60.
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