The Circus is Dead

I read the other day Barnum & Bailey are closing, and I cried.

I remember the three rings from my childhood. As an adult, I'm not a circus-goer; I'm very allergic to hay and anything with fur or feathers; and I don't care for clowns (thanks to Stephen King). I love the trapeze, the peanuts, and the overall idea of a circus though.

No more childhood dreams of running away to join the circus. No more of the 'Greatest Show on Earth.' An era has passed. It's just plain sad.

Here are some links to the news. They all say basically the same thing: no more elephants, not enough income.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/14/entertainment/ringling-circus-closing/index.html
http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/ringling-bros-circus-to-close-after-146-years-w461174
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/ringling-bros-and-barnum-bailey-circus-closing/
http://www.weau.com/content/news/Barnum--Bailey-Circus-will-close-in-May-410765685.html

I'm sort of in shock about this - the passing of such an era in my lifetime, what it means for those who rely on the circus - the destruction of their way of life; but mostly, another cold realization of how the march of time is relentless and merciless.

Although I'm happy for the animals, I simply cannot write more. I'm too sad and disconcerted about this. Just thought I'd share.