In the IJA roster I find 2,000 people in the U.S.A., 76 in Canada and 115 in the rest of the world. This may reflect the American supremacy in the field of juggling, or it may simply reflect the lack of true relevance to the international scene of an American­based IJA. If we find news of Oregon meetings irrelevant, how can you (2,000) feel about six people meeting in Cardiff?

However, the 18 months I spent in the U.S.A. recently helped cure me of a quite common anti-American prejudice.. .

The European convention promises to be very big this year, and the organizers are planning a three­language newsletter/magazine for Europe.

I believe Europeans should maintain contact with the IJA rather than form a separate group, but it is possible that the people who attend the convention will think differently.

My long-distance impression of the U.S. convention is of a friendly but competitive meeting, with more of whom I will call "Olympians" - people involved in exploring human limits.

Europeans are still at an earlier stage of development. My subjective impression is that we have fewer Olympians and more "Travelling Players." I define the latter as teachers and performers involved in juggling as a form of communication, with an emphasis on play.

This is certainly an arbitrary division, but nonetheless is indicative of something important. I am not against the pursuit of excellence, but I do believe that the social, therapeutic and meditative sides of juggling make it worth communicating to others.

I'd love to dedicate one whole lifetime to juggling (as Art or Science), but it is still a "trivial pursuit" in the face of so many world problems. Its playful aspect is the one I emphasize now, both as an improvising performer and as a potential audience.

Enclosed is my check for IJA membership. I very much look forward to receiving Juggler's World. I consumed with relative passion the June issue the same night I picked it up from the Atlanta Juggler's Association, which I joined earlier the same day.

I'm a novice, closet juggler who has been fooling around with bean bags and plungers in the living room (and oranges in the supermarket) since I survived Columbus, Ohio's 1977 shut-in blizzard to end all blizzards.

I didn't realize juggling was organized in the sense of an international forum. Now that I find it is I am both impressed and encouraged. In fact, I'm now prepared to step out of the Closet, practice at AJA meetings and look forward to the day when I can quit my job in advertising and move my family to San Francisco to work the streets in search of fame, if not fortune!

How about a "What are you doing for juggling?" department in the magazine? Ask members to write in when they put on a juggling program at schools or service clubs or do anything to promote our art. As you know, our church ladies have made me over 700 juggling balls, which I've sold to new jugglers to earn more than $750 for our hunger fund.

I've taught the high school tennis team to juggle and put on three shows to promote reading and juggling. I'm sure many IJA members do things and get no credit except in their own towns. If they'd write them in, it would give other members ideas.