Some things are shared between generations. In a world where technology drives innovation
and change at the speed of light, those things are growing to be fewer and
fewer every day. But we have found a few
things that we can share with Siena that are similar today to what they were
when we were children.
Disneyland prides itself on being what it was many years ago
(to some extent) because people love to share their memories with their kids. The Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center and
the windows at Saks and Macy's will always be Christmas to me and the Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day parade still starts the season. Another thing that was special to me growing up was the
Greatest Show on Earth.
My boyhood memories were filled with visits to the
circus. I may have only gone a few
times, but it feels like we went every year.
The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus is an annual tradition
in our family today, as it was years ago for me.
Growing up my memories of the circus were sculpted by the two big acts
that were part of the show my entire childhood, Gunther Gebel-Williams and Lou
Jacobs. Probably two of the most famous
circus acts of all time, these performers were both part of the show for my
entire childhood.
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| Gunther Gebel-Williams |
Gunther and his tigers were always the high point of the
performance and Lou, the originator of the red ball clown nose, was always the
funniest part. For years the three rings
of excitement at Madison Square Garden were something you could set your clock
by.
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| Lou Jacobs |
Today our calendar is consistently filled with circus
performances that always fall at the time of Siena’s birthday. Yesterday Siena enjoyed her 5th
circus. Each year she has grown to love
the spectacle of the event a little more. Today the
West Coast troupe never offers more than two rings of entertainment at a time,
but that is probably better for someone so little to take it all in.
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| Trapeze performer |
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| Preshow |
Siena calls the Honda Center the “circus place” as that is
what she remembers it for. The preshow
events on the floor with the performers are exciting for her but this year she
was eager to rush to our seats to see the show.
Her favorite act was the Trapeze followed by the Tigers and Lions. Mommy loved the motorcycles in the steel the
cage (Siena liked this as well because they had a girl). Daddy enjoyed the Tigers and the Clowns. It seems some
memories stay with you always.
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| Elephants |
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| Lions and Tigers |
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| Alexander Lacey and his Cats |
