Sunday Confessional

I have never liked the circus.  In fact, those words just aren't strong enough.  I have always hated the circus! I don't know why; I don't remember having a bad experience there, or being attacked by clowns or anything, but even pictures of the circus make me shudder.  I mention all of this because the circus just came to town this week. Dredged up all of those bad feelings.

A few years ago when I was doing my student teaching, my first graders (along with half of the school children in town) went to the circus for a field trip.  I would rather have been eaten by cannibals.  To me, it was a complete waste of not only the gas to get to there, but the time they spent out of the classroom. And I'm not an animal rights activist or anything, but it really bothered me that they had those trained elephants and lions. I feel bad that these animals have been taken out of their habitat and taught to behave in ways unnatural to them so that people can be entertained.   Am I the only one that feels this way?  Probably not.  Maybe I need therapy.