Davidson is such a small town that it lacks modern amusements such as movie theatres, video game parlors and Putt-Putt Golf courses. Predictably, people in the same breath complain about the lack of entertainment and bless their stars that they don't live in a big city like nearby Charlotte, which has entertainment but also many bad things, such as crime and strangers.

 

Given this setting, you can imagine that the arrival of the Roberts Brothers Circus for a one-night stand caused a stir. I planned to attend the show that Friday night, of course. But when I passed by the site in the morning, saw the tent going up and got a whiff of elephant, I got so excited I told the boss I had to take the rest of the day off.

 

Asking about jugglers, I found three ­ Ian Craik, Pamela and Mario. It was the last night of their six-month tour, so they were in high spirits. We talked and juggled throughout the afternoon.

 

Mario was the center-ring star. Young and aggressive, he juggled clubs with the same sort of blinding Iberian speed as a flamenco guitar player. He admiration of Francis Brunn showed in his rapid, fluid pirouettes and flourishes.

 

Overestimating my juggling skill as we talked, Ian downplayed his. He said he only juggled in the show because they needed someone to fill the third ring. Juggling made him nervous. He said, "Every time you throw one up, it's another chance to drop." I said I knew the feeling.

 

Then he surprised me. "Listen, since this is the last show of the tour, why don't you take my place tonight?"

 

I'm not much of a performer, and immediately declined the offer. But as the afternoon wore on, the idea began to sound more appealing. I looked to the future and considered which scenario I would rather tell my grandchildren: "I once had a chance to juggle in the circus," or , "Yes, it's true; your old grand­dad was a circus juggler one night..."

 

Who could refuse?

 

Two more items played to my favor. Ian was about my size, and agreed to let me wear one of his sequined costumes. Also, there were two shows, and he consented to let me watch the first from the sidelines to see how the juggling act unfolded.

 

Showtime! On went the ponies, the lady who walked upside down on the ceiling, the elephant, clowns and finally three rings of juggling to conclude the first act.

To my relief, I saw that Ian hadn't been kidding about the skill level of the supporting juggling acts. While all eyes were on Mario's skillful moves and posturing, Ian and Pamela performed basic ball, club and ring moves.

 

I changed into a red body suit between shows and practiced like mad. More quickly than I imagined, the ringmaster announced "The Great Gidooski" and I joggled into ring one. Without an act to consult or even a well-formed plan, I did my basic two dozen three ball tricks, five ball shower and half-dozen club tricks' and tried to remember to keep smiling.

 

Another full house recognized the local talent immediately and encouraged me with cat calls and applause even where it wasn't deserved. The three minutes dragged on and I began to repeat tricks. The number of drops was also mounting. But before I panicked, it was over,

 

Sweating and breathing hard, I bowed out of the circus ring - probably forever. I helped tear down and fold up the circus tent, then we jugglers drank beer and talked about good times and bad times on the road. In the morning, the only thing that was left of the Roberts Brothers troupe was some stake holes in the asphalt parking lot where the tent had stood and clipped grass where' the animals had been tethered.

 

I was glad to be staying behind to remember the night before, rather than travelling down the road to repeat it!

 

The IJA apparently made about $20,000 profit on its 1983 convention in Purchase, NY. As caretaker of the association's largest expense, I'm happy to see the income. It assures our ability to maintain the $10 membership fee, while still publishing a high-quality magazine and paying a half-time salary for the grossly underpaid, but highly dedicated secretary - Rich Chamberlln.

 

The person who deserves the credit for the summer profit and our present fiscal stability is Gene Jones, who served as president for the past three years. His professional management skills and concerns for the long-term health of the organization were timely and welcome. We are now in a position to grow and offer more services to members.

 

I urge others who feel they have similar managerial insight and skills to offer to the UA to step forth and run for an office on the board of directors. We need you all!