Ringling Bros left town last night — via East 5th Street!! A parade of pachyderms and horses was escorted back to their train cars, and we happened to catch sight of them moseying along. It was pretty surreal.
Admittedly, we have mixed feelings about the circus. We went every year as a child on into our teenage years, and it was something we regularly looked forward to. The clowns, the acrobats, the lions and tigers and bears, and our personal favorites, the elephants. Now, as an adult, I wonder about the animals and their treatment. I hope they are happy and well taken care of. The trainers and workers escorting them back to their trains seemed friendly and caring. And I know they have a 200-acre elephant conservation area, so that’s nice I think… but animal rights groups still protest the circus and have some concerns that are probably valid.
It can be such a bummer to be an adult and have to think about the bigger pictures in the world all the time. Last night, some resident was running alongside the animals shouting something about “stop trespassing on government property!” or privte property, or something. He was not happy with the little parade for some reason, and I just thought to myself, geez guy. It’s the cirus. Lighten up a little.
As adults, it seems we take everything so damned seriously. And I guess Ignorance truly is bliss. But I, for one, was pretty blissful last night as we parked our car and ran out to watch the elephants parade past condos and warehouses. Sometimes it’s nice to just be a kid again.
JF
SCM
ya, seeing and smelling those train cars along 5th without the animals definitely put me in that group that definitely has a problem with animals being used in circuses. too often there are reports of the animals (e.g., elephants) being abused during training, etc. 😦
it is so sad that this is somehow entertainment 😦
Sigh. yes. it’s strange to think about something that is supposed to be entertaining and fun and wondrous and then think about what may go on behind the closed doors of the circus. and i’m sure the animals are none too happy about being in a train car for who knows how long as they travel from one place to another…