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The clown?
11 years ago
General
I went into a Dairy Queen the other day and near the entrance was a table with some balloons, a tip jar, and some other clownish things. I didn't see anyone at the table and on a whim dropped some change in the jar, took a balloon, and made a sitting dog to put on the order number thingie while I waited for my lunch.
This woman in what loosely could be called a clown costume came up to me while I was sitting and demanded where I got it from. I said that I twisted it. She then took it off the card and tossed it in the trash bin. I asked her why she did that, but she wouldn't answer me. I suppose if she really wanted to insult me she would have broken it in my face first.
I finished my lunch and looked at the advertisement she had on the wall. The usual birthday party clown nonsense with the word 'Christian' emphasized. She was sitting down when I came up to her and introduced myself. She looked like she would rather be somewhere else. Her makeup wasn't the worst I've seen and I've seen some things that would have made "Killer Klowns" look downright cheerful.
I told her that I had been working with balloons for more than forty years. That I had performed as a clown at state fairs, company picnics, and store promotions. She asked if I was a clown (I had said so more than once) and if I was still doing it. I said that I haven't in quite a while due to my health and that life on the road was hard and lonely at times.
She told me that she was a clown for the Lord, which I replied "aren't we all?" She gave me an angry look and said "No" She then went into a speech about how she was telling children about Jesus at which time I smiled, said goodbye cheerfully, and went out the door.
I could have said many things, I didn't.
I could have said that being a clown is as much attitude as attire. Frowns and sad faces are normal on Tramp clowns but not on any other kind. Even then they still smile.
A clown's purpose is to amuse and entertain. Proselytizing is better left to someone who isn't wearing a rubber nose. I did NOT say it can't or shouldn't be done, Joy and rejoicing are important, but if preaching, not teaching by entertaining, is the only reason for wearing greasepaint, then it is dishonest and a disservice to both clowns and Christ.
There is much I could have said but I suspect the result would be the same as far as she was concerned.
This woman in what loosely could be called a clown costume came up to me while I was sitting and demanded where I got it from. I said that I twisted it. She then took it off the card and tossed it in the trash bin. I asked her why she did that, but she wouldn't answer me. I suppose if she really wanted to insult me she would have broken it in my face first.
I finished my lunch and looked at the advertisement she had on the wall. The usual birthday party clown nonsense with the word 'Christian' emphasized. She was sitting down when I came up to her and introduced myself. She looked like she would rather be somewhere else. Her makeup wasn't the worst I've seen and I've seen some things that would have made "Killer Klowns" look downright cheerful.
I told her that I had been working with balloons for more than forty years. That I had performed as a clown at state fairs, company picnics, and store promotions. She asked if I was a clown (I had said so more than once) and if I was still doing it. I said that I haven't in quite a while due to my health and that life on the road was hard and lonely at times.
She told me that she was a clown for the Lord, which I replied "aren't we all?" She gave me an angry look and said "No" She then went into a speech about how she was telling children about Jesus at which time I smiled, said goodbye cheerfully, and went out the door.
I could have said many things, I didn't.
I could have said that being a clown is as much attitude as attire. Frowns and sad faces are normal on Tramp clowns but not on any other kind. Even then they still smile.
A clown's purpose is to amuse and entertain. Proselytizing is better left to someone who isn't wearing a rubber nose. I did NOT say it can't or shouldn't be done, Joy and rejoicing are important, but if preaching, not teaching by entertaining, is the only reason for wearing greasepaint, then it is dishonest and a disservice to both clowns and Christ.
There is much I could have said but I suspect the result would be the same as far as she was concerned.
The musical "Godspell" (the music is by the same composer who wrote the music for "Pippin" and "Wicked," among many others) usually has Jesus with clown face paint and a colorful costume. It's definitely about teaching by entertaining.
Then again, based on the kind of 'tude she seemed to have, due to being on her high horse via religion, I guess she probably would not have listened much no matter what you or anyone said.
And, is it just me, or is American society out there getting more and more people like that woman... types who love their opinion and the things they like and believe in sooo much that ANYONE who dares say a word that they deem as being even remotely "against them" (in their eyes) is a person that simply MUST be crushed into oblivion mercilessly.
*Shrugs shoulders* Kind of contradicts such sentiments as 'love they neighbor" and "love they enemy" and all the peace, love and tolerance stuff that I thought Christianity is supposedly all about.
Again though, you probably handled the matter about as well as anyone could, given the circumstances, me thinks.
Those aren't sentiments, they are the commandments of Jesus and you don't have to be religious to know that they make very good sense. http://www.trusting-in-jesus.com/Co.....-of-Jesus.html
I learned restraint long ago, especially in working fairs. Having someone's 'little darling' deliberately stomping on your $250 shoes or having their parent say "Hit the clown, it's funny" (I feel a bit guilty when one kid asked me if he could hit me and I said it would be funnier if he did it to his dad. Daddy got a sock in the jewels that made me cringe and I didn't dare crack a smile either. Poor kid.) {BTW, the crowd howled with laughter}
There's been many times I wished I did a stage show instead of being one on one with the audience.
But, beyond the whole atheism/agnostic or "true believer" thing, I think it can be truly said that organised religion is just another thing among many in the world specifically designed from the ground up to control the hearts and minds of people by telling them what they apparently feel strongly in favour of.
And, those who would do this... the people at the highest top levels in any organised religion does not tell people the things they do in the interest of the people under them, but in their OWN best interests, since every puppet master needs their mindless puppets.
For someone like myself that does not desire to be led by anyone, and follow my own path free of overbearing people seeking to control me for their own ends... if i was given the choice between a "true believer" or simply being a spiritual person, I'd go with the latter of the two, since it takes all the wrong people 9such as that woman you ran across) out of the equation.
Even though I myself am not religious, I don't antagonize people of faith. Though that one.. would have tested by patience, severely. It's folks like that that make other people of faith look bad. It's a shame, really.