You've heard of Doctors Without Borders, right? If you haven't, it's an independent organization of doctors who travel all over the world in order to help people who are unable to get medical care. Today on Chicago Public Radio's Worldview, they did a story on another organization (no doubt, just as well-meaning as Doctors Without Borders) whose mission statement is "to offer laughter to relieve the suffering of all persons, especially children, who live in areas of crisis including refugee camps, conflict zones and territories in situations of emergency." While I am not doubting the great need for an organization like this, the problem I have is the disturbing mental image that the name of this group evokes. Brace yourselves.
Clowns Without Borders
Have you ever seen Stephen King's TV movie IT? No, thank you, Pennywise the clown! I have no love for you. The only clown I could sort of deal with as a kid was Bozo, but that was only because I watched his morning show & was ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED that I would win his Grand Prize Game. I'd get that last ping pong ball into the farthest cup and score myself a bike, I just knew it, if only we could get tickets to his show. It was never to be.
I never won a bike on that show, but years later I proved I could have easily done it since I was "the one to beat" in college whenever we played Speed Quarters. Seriously, it's a gift.
So, when the host of Worldview introduced the show and announced that he'd be speaking with the founder of Clowns Without Borders, the quips began like this:
"UGH! This sounds like my childhood--and ADULT-- nightmare!"
"Absolutely. If there is anything in this world that needs borders, it would be clowns."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
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