I Remember Each Day; with Vivid Clarity

I wasn't with Big John and Son very long; most of 1975.  Painted a lot of seats in winter quarters..pounded a lot of tent stakes..sold a lot of coloring books..scooped up a lot of Baby Neena poop..and did a little feeble juggling.

I joined Camp Strong after getting rejected by Ringling's Clown College.  My gpa wasn't good enough I guess.  Became part of 'White Line Wally's' tent crew.  Each morning, he woke us up with 'Hey, hey..another f***ing circus day!'  We always woke up and we always worked...Wally's motto was; 'Work..or fight.' No one ever chose the latter that I know of.

We all had nicknames on the tent crew; James the Brains, Cannuck, etc.  My nickname was 'Shakespeare', due to always writing in my journal on rare down times.  'HEY, SHAKESPEARE...PUT DOWN DAT BOOK AND PUT UP THEM SEATS!'

Big John once thought I stole his station wagon, when I went to buy ice for the concession wagon and got lost.  I remember him muttering, 'Well, at least he's honest.'  I was (briefly) 'Bouncer' the clown.  One of the chimps tried to kill me when I was selling coloring books.  I swung Eddie Spaghetti's rope and a couple of times, when Big John was indisposed, got to say; 'Eddie Spaghetti, you PHONEY BALONEY!'  I remember each day; with vivid clarity.

Greg Homer