Skeeter Buzzed Into Town Yesterday

I've been busy doing the local preparations for the Culpepper Merriweather Circus coming to town next Friday, May 30th. Wednesday evening their advance clown, Skeeter, arrived and spent the night in our home. Then I took her to 3 school assemblies I had prearranged for her to do her act at.

Anybody who can hold the rapt attention of 500 five, six and seven year olds is pretty amazing in my book. She juggled, and joked and magic tricked her way into the hearts of the local youngsters.

It was very interesting to visit with her the evening before her school performances. I was intrigued by her nomadic lifestyle. She is a few years younger than me and has been on the road clowning for 19 years. She spends 9 months of the year going from town to town in her Dodge Caravan, which is her home on the road. Occasionally the local sponsor will invite them into their home for the evening. Otherwise she camps out in the van.

She has a small portable TV that picks up a few channels in some locations until the change to digital in June. Reading books in her downtime is one of her pleasures.

She didn't grow up in a circus family, but her father was involved in Shriners. This gave her the opportunity to start clowning in their circus when she was 9 years old in Columbus, Ohio. She is a graduate of the Ringling Clown College.

Skeeter’s clown program educates people about what a day in the life of a clown is really all about. She spends time talking about the different types of clowns and the history of the circus, incorporating a variety of foreign and sign language. Her creativity was a real inspiration to me.

Speaking of clowning around -- we had a great weekend at the beach in Seaside Oregon with daughter Susie and the grandkids: Grace, Wyatt and Hannah. They found treasures in the sand and we stayed in the pool swimming and splashing until we looked like raisens. Grace really got the hang of swimming while we were there and is great doing the back float and crawl stroke.

Before the kids arrived Jim and I were swimming in the pool and met a lady named Rhonda. After visiting with her we learned that her mother had recently suffered a stroke and would love to get in the pool, but wasn't physically able to from her wheel chair. We encouraged Rhonda to bring her mother down from their room with the offer to help her get in. Jim picked her up like a baby and gently carried her into the pool. Then the two of us Rhonda's got on either side of her and she grinned from ear-to-ear as she 'walked' for the first time since her stroke, with the help of the water's buoyancy.

Later, when settling the grandchildren down for the evening, we told them about the incident and talked about watching and listening for the needs of others so we can help people. Wyatt listened intently, then commented "that's just a story isn't it? It didn't really happen did it." It was good to reassure him that in fact it did and that it was very important to not just think about what we want all the time, but to think about what other people need around us. I think it sunk in a little as they seemed particulary thoughtful with us and each other. It's great to be able to share a little of life's lessons while we're just clowning around.