I am a "First of May." In January, yet. I am also a circus clown. At long last. In the morning, I will do my first ever professional performance. I am very excited aobut this. I have spent the last three years working toward this coming moment. And now, it's going to happen. For real. It's not a fantasy anymore.
I work for George Hanneford Jr., in the Hanneford Family Circus. For $100.00/week and a place to sleep. The place to sleep turns out to be in my truck.
I think, that if I'm going to survive in this business, that I have a lot of "getting used to " to do. Like sleeping in my truck, and bathing out of a bucket of water . . . somehow, I wasn't really ready for the reality of all of this. I guess I expected too much. But then, I don't know yet what it's going to be like.
I only just got here today . . .
Journal note, dated Tuesday, January 5, 1977.
Yeah. Well, almost a clown. Mrs. Hanneford told me this morning that she wanted me to work the concession stand today, and start clowning tomorrow. I sort of get the impression that I may work the concession stand for a while, which isn't what I drove 1300 miles to do. I could have sold hot dogs in New Haven . . .
There are three big horses, and five ponies and a whole bunch of dogs and a monkey and four baby elephants in the show. They ride to and from work each day in a semi. The dogs and the elephants sleep in the truck. The ponies and horses sleep in a barn. There's also a llama. He rides in the truck and sleeps in the barn.
And there's two other clowns. Alfredo Landon and Dougie Ashton. They work in the show.
I don't.
The monkey, by the way, is lucky. He gets to sleep in the house.
Journal Note, dated Saturday, January 9, 1977.
Well, I'm finally a clown. But still not a circus clown. I'm a lobby clown.
Every morning I get dressed and made-up and I go out into the lobby and be cute for the people who come in. I walk up and down the side-walk, in and out of the parking lot, and wave at the cars that go by.
Sometimes I sit on the curb and fish in the sewer grating. . . .
Yesterday, I made a sign that said
KISSES . . . $1.00
FREE!
I got kissed by two wrinkly old ladies and a five year old, slobbery girl. Yecchh. I did get to ride to and from work in Mrs. Hanneford's Cadillac, reason being, my truck is almost out of gas.
Tonight for supper, I ate six chocolate covered donuts, a can of Chef Boyardi Ravioli and a quart of orange juice. I ate the donuts first. Then I opened the ravioli with a hammer and a screw driver, since I didn't bring a can-opener . . .
Nothing like cold ravioli, washed down with orange juice.
Things are looking up. Only one more day until payday, and I still have over a dollar left! Almost a dollar and a half!
Dougie Ashton thinks I'm funny. I guess that's something . . .
Journal Note, dated Sunday, January 10, 1977.
Another exciting day in the life of a first of May. Still working in the lobby. Apparently will be for a while.
Until Dougie quits.
Or somebody dies.
Today while I was entertaining a group of people in the lobby, someone stole my props. Lost my juggling balls, my lighter, and my last cigarette . . .
Lousy place, the lobby.
Ringling Blue is in Venice rehearsing. Maybe I'll go down there and see the people I know.
After I get paid.
Tomorrow is payday! Wheee . . .
So ended my first week in the circus. The next day, after I got paid, I quit. And I did go visit Ringling Blue. And, ok, so this really should have been an earlier entry, but I forgot I had it. I found it cleaning out a file drawer a week or so ago . . . I think the days correspond to the dates, but I didn't bother to check.
You can, if you're of a mind to . . .
