Something a little different for my 1st post of 2024. I was going over the stuff that happened in 2023. Ya know, shows, races, trips, that sort of thing. And it’s been a cool year. I’ve met some great folks, reconnected with some super friends, done what I think has been some good work. All in all, positive stuff. Then I remembered something that happened in the Spring. I was in Lancaster. Yes, the Lancaster I’m in right now. In Pennsylvania. The show was “Footloose”, which we did in Pa. & in Fla. And I got a message from someone in Cincinnati. I wouldn’t say a friend, because we were barely more than aquaintences. This person knew I had been the Ringmaster for Ringling Bros. ( like anyone DOESN’T). He told me about a relative. I don’t remember if it was a nephew or whatever. But a relative who was a child. And autistic. And this relative had a fascination with the circus. It was one of the things that brought this child joy. That brought him out of his shell. And it would be SO cool if I could send him something, as a former Ringmaster for the Greatest Show on Earth (Ringlings words, not mine). I thought about that. The one thing I thought would be cool would be a signed program, with a personalized message. So I told them that and said “ let me work on this and get back to you”.
They were thrilled. They said that would be so great and he would appreciate that so much, and maybe when I got back in town I could meet him, yada, yada, yada….

OK, cool. Pitch in, help a young person who may not have the easiest time, do something for a family who loosely runs in the same circles as I’m running in, at least when I’m in town. Sounds like a win all the way around.
One complication.

I have one program from my year with Ringling. I used to have 2 but I lent one to someone years ago and it “went away”. If you know me at all you know I’m not the most sentimental cat on the planet, but yeah, I’d like to keep that memento of an odd, random, interesting year of my life.

What to do?

EBay

Ebay has just about anything you could want, as long as you are willing to pay. Including programs from RBBB circus. Really, just name a year and you can find a program. Which brings us to problem #2.
Ringling circuses are created for a 2 year cycle. I stepped in for the 2nd year of the 127th edition, in 1998. The Ringmaster for the 1st year was a dude named Eric Michael Gillette. Nice guy, as I recall. So I had to find not just the 127th edition program, but the RIGHT 127th edition program. There were about 8 people selling that particular program, and it was the 7th inquiry I made ( “Could you look and see who the Ringmaster is in the program?) that scored. “Robert Tully?”
Winner, winner. Chicken dinner…

So I paid the money, had the program shipped to me, signed it with a message & sent it to the address I was given.
Coolio.

Yeah, I was happy to do it. Good karma and all that. And yeah, I was curious to know how it was received, if he responded to it, etc.

I didn’t get a response. No “Thanks”. No “we really appreciate it”. Nothing. But life moves on. I’m doing 8-9 shows a week, taking the show to Florida, so on & so forth.
Life moves on. I don’t dwell on it.
Fast forward to me going back to Cincinnati. I get invited to sing at a fundraiser for my high school glee club. That’s how I’m loosely connected to this person. And they are there. And I think “ Oh, cool, they will probably stop over and say “thanks”, whatever.
Nope.

And, I mean, I got up and sang a number. Not like you can miss me. But nothing.
So yeah, I went over.

” Hey, how’s it going?”

“Fine, how’re you Bob “

”I’m good”…tick tick tick.

”So I was wondering. How did your nephew like the program?”

”Oh, that. I’m not sure. They might not have given it to him yet, but I’m sure he’ll like it”..

..tick tick tick…

”Well, have a good night” (that was me)

”Yeah, you too”

Do they know about going on EBay, etc, etc.? Nope.
But did I expect more? Yeah I did.
So, how to take that.
The way I choose to take it is that the lack of acknowledgement & appreciation doesn’t change the fact that it happened. That I went out of my way to help someone when I didn’t have to.
Does that make me Abraham Lincoln, freeing the slaves? Don’t ask me questions you already know the answer to.
But it’s a bit of good karma. And again, I don’t think it will affect what kind of animal I come back as in the next life. If that’s really the way it goes. But maybe it will help me feel a little better about me the next time I screw up. And maybe it’s not about being recognized for it.
Maybe it’s about doing it in the first place.
Oh, and by the way. Happy 2024.

Talk later,

Bob