Street Performers

A Common Street Performer







          The first thing you notice is the crowd. You think to yourself, “Mmmm, this could be interesting; I suppose I could stop for just a minute...” So you push through the ring of people and see what all the commotion is about. There in the street is man, a man in black with shoes just a tad too big and a cane. He seems normal enough; you might even feel a little disappointed. After all, he’s just a man.          Then something amazing happens. He moves. He dances. He leaps into the air and flips once before he falls onto his back! Everyone laughs and children clap. This is no ordinary man, he’s a clown! Some might even call him a mime, but that’d be rude. What we have here is a man with a gift. A gift for entertainment. At least, that’s what we feel first and foremost. Entertained. Then something else creeps in.          A feeling you can’t quiet place burbles up. You watch as the man loses his hat. It flies through the air and lands at a child’s feet. The little girl is stunned, should she pick it up for him? She stays undecided, maybe even a little scared, so the mime tiptoes over, very quiet like a predator hunting his dinner. He gets just close enough to LEAP landing full faced on top of his hat! The girl screams with delight as she grabs her mother’s hand. But no! The hat is gone. Where did it go? Why it’s behind the little girl! He scrambles on his belly around the girl and her mother trying to reach the black hat. Finally, he manages to corner it between her legs. There he grabs his unruly bowler and gives the little girl a bow in gratitude for all her help. For the hat is an unruly thing. He shakes the mothers hand for her good sportsmanship and starts to return to his stage. Why won’t the lady let go of his hand? Why he’s fastened to her like glue! He pulls and tugs but to no avail. He’s stuck. Nothing can be done. His face portrays such determination and such hardship. It must be hard for him to be stuck so. With a tug, and a heave, and maybe even a push he finally frees himself from the helpless lady. By now all are enthralled and all are entertained. Look close at their faces. Do you see something else? Something just a little bit more? Wait, can you feel it in you? This is more than just entertainment. It’s more than watching someone funny. It’s innocence. Now look at the clown, look, I mean really look at his face. Do you see it? It’s his eyes, they almost seem...... young. That’s because they are. He remembers what it is like to be a child. He knows the feeling of pure joy from a red balloon. He recalls the first taste of ice cream. Because he does and because he can, he is able to let you see it, too. Now do you recognize the faces around you? They are all young. They are all reliving and remembering what is was like. For a brief moment in time the adult half of their soul has left, and only the childish gleam in their eyes remain.                All of this happened because of a man. All this because of a clown who dreams and remembers. A silent man who loves to smile and needs an audience to share it with. So next time you think, “I don’t have time to stop.” I want you to ask yourself, do you remember what it was like?