YESTERDAY'S TOWNS

HOWDY, MY NAME IS BILL STRONG, I'LL BE YOUR "24 HOUR MAN", ROUTING YOU INTO THE PAST TO SEE WHAT THE CIRCUS WAS IN DAYS GONE BY. IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, AND MISS WHAT IT USED TO BE, THEN COME ON ALONG AS WE GO DOWN THE ROAD FOLLOWING THE ARROWS BACKWARDS, TO "YESTERDAY'S TOWNS"! IF YOU HAVE CIRCUS RELATED PICTURES YOU WOULD LIKE POSTED, SEND THEM TO,,,,yesterday1@verizon.net,,,,AND WE WILL TRY TO FIT THEM IN. "24 HOUR MAN" WILL HAVE THE FINAL DECISION ON POSTING.

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Location: GIBSONTON, FLORIDA, United States

Three years at CWM made me a real traditionalist, and I keep remembering Bob Parkinson saying, "I want the people to see what the circus used to be, not what it is today. That's what this site is about!

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

AAHH! HE NEVER DID NUTHIN'

SITTIN' IN A JACKPOT SESSION ONCE, AND BROUGHT UP A NAME FROM THE PAST, "AAHH, HE NEVER DID NUTHIN'" SOMEONE SAID. THAT HAS BOTHERED ME EVER SINCE, I KEEP THINKING HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THIS BUSINESS TRIED ALL THEIR LIVES TO GET SOMEWHERE, BUT NEVER MADE IT OFF SOME LITTLE "RAG BAG" SHOW TO BIGGER THINGS. BUT THEY STAYED WITH IT THEIR WHOLE LIVES IN SPITE OF EVERY BARRIER.
I'M NO POET BY A LONG WAYS, BUT HERE IS MY OFFERING TO THOSE WHO, "NEVER DID NUTHIN"!

2 Comments:

Anonymous Mr. Lee said...

Bill ,, Great piece and oh so true.

4/07/2009 3:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear Bill: I couldn't read all of the text even with enlarging it due to the type. But it never fails to amaze me when I talk to retired performers and showfolks, many who are elderly now, who are just bowled over that anyone actually remembers them!!!!! This is just amazing, as well as confounding to me. It doesn't matter whether they were a headliner with the GSOE or a lone ring three performer in some rag bag two-bit show, or shoveled the shit from behind an elephant, at some point they definitely touched someone's life. They made somebody dream; they made somebody aspire to do something that they'd never tried before; they made somebody laugh when they really needed to; they made somebody clap in appreciation; they made somebody cheer in revelry; they made somebody rethink their future; they made somebody make a decision that they were afraid to make; they made somebody thrill to the possibilities of Humankind; they made somebody see their own potential; they made somebody remember their past; they made somebody want more out of life; they made somebody not settle for less; they brought somebody joy; they made somebody feel special; they helped heal somebody who was sick or hurting; in short, they changed somebody's life. While I have dabbled inside of the ring, I have spent the majority of my life outside of it, looking in with awe and excitement and thrills and laughter and aspirations and dreams and mostly profound respect. It has made me a better person. I can never hope to thank all of you showfolks with even a fraction of what you deserve. You are all STARS in my opinion and I thank you for everything that you have done for Humankind. You have all made this world a better place!
Neil

4/08/2009 4:04 PM  

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