Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, readers of all ages: Life is chaotic and complicated.
However, it must be the correct combination of planned and spontaneous in order to be a hit. Dangerous, thrilling, emotional and unpredictable, life is a circus.
We walk many tightropes and take narrow paths in hopes that we don’t fall. Always anxious, we tiptoe through the journey, hoping we don’t fail to succeed.
We are expert jugglers. Always occupied with more tasks than we can handle, we somehow manage to stay in synchronization.
We are fire-breathers, passionate about the things that make us come alive. We want to share our passions with the world so much and sometimes sacrifice ourselves just to be able to do so.
We jump through rings of fire to get to the things we want. Many times we put ourselves in danger in pursuit of what we desire. What awaits on the other side could be recognition, applause, self-fulfillment or simply something better than what we have now. We hope we can make it through the test and say the leap of faith was well worth it.
We find ourselves fighting to tame the wild lions of life. Why do we put ourselves in these kinds of situations in the first place? Often it’s a necessity. Sometimes it’s just for the thrill of it.
When things get tough, we satisfy our egos by putting on stilts to be above everyone around us.
We are trapeze artists. When we find someone our hearts feel we can trust, we repeatedly swing back and forth to them, away from them, until we have the courage to let go and clutch on. All we can hope is that they embrace us and don’t let us fall. We’d be ashamed and embarrassed after getting played.
Although places around the world have different interpretations, the concept of the circus is a shared experience, identifiable and relatable to all. It’s a global phenomenon that people of all walks of life grow to be intrigued with.
Some circus shows are high-class, some are low-maintenance. Some take place in parking lots for free, while others occur in grand auditoriums with high-priced tickets. Some are child-friendly while others are much more serious in nature.
The circus will travel and make stops all around the world. Some big tops stay in one city their entire run while others have the chance to see the entire globe. No matter where your own circus goes, remember it’s on the road for a reason.
When it’s all said and done, it’s only an illusion. Eventually, we lose our possessions, costumes, props and reveal our true selves.
Some of us find it hard to believe in someone who actually conducts all of this madness. However, the most fulfilling circuses prosper because they have a trusting relationship with their ringmaster. We don’t understand every action he takes but confide in him enough to abide by his word and believe he is in control of a beautiful experience.
The ringmaster is the most visible and most vital in the show.
He is confident, dapper and effortlessly holds the attention of the audience members watching. His presence is strong enough to make them fear, respect, praise, admire and love him all at once. This master of ceremonies keeps the show moving, even during times that seem rough.
The ringmaster loves us as performers. Even when we feel we‘re miniscule or unworthy of attention, he reminds us that we are uniquely created and are spectacular creatures because he made us and molded us into who we are. Even though at times we are unprepared and ungraceful, he convinces us we are worth much more. He sees potential inside us we don’t even know exists.
Thank you for being an engaging and responsive audience on this stop of my own traveling circus.
I hope we all continue to grow and can one day stop the adventure, rest and say we were part of a worthy spectacle for our ringmaster.
Anayo Ordu is an advertising sophomore at UF. Her column appears on Tuesdays. You can contact him at opinions@alligator.org.
