Last week my wife and I took our two grandsons to the circus. It was really a rather rundown affair. The big top was set up on an old field in neighboring Cape Coral. You could see the dried up and matted down grass in the aisles. The seats were old metal folding chairs that looked like they'd been bnought at a church rummage sale and then painted red and yellow to match the circus decor.

The circus workers and performers looked almost as tired as the chairs. Ticket takers doubled as dancers and acrobats. Elephants not only performed their tricks, but, for an extra fee, also gave rides to children. Some of the acts were rather tepid--a few were actually fairly good. My grandsons really liked the Globe of Death ( a motocycle act), and the Human Cannonball (moving at 65 miles per hour, according to the ringmaster.) The tigers, though, looked like they'd really rather be in the jungle. And the clowns tried hard--but there were no budding Emmet Kelly's among them. And even as we were walking out of the big top, I noticed workers tearing it down, getting ready to move on to their next stop.

But here's the thing: we had a good time. All of us. And we didn't spend a fortune. In fact, we got out of the evening for well under one hundred dollars--and that included our nutritionally impoverished meal under the Golden Arches! OK, it's true, as soon as we walked in the front door at home, my wife insisted that we all go and wash our hands--but we'd had a good time, germs and all!

I'm not the first to see a metaphor for life in the circus, but I saw it afresh that night. And while sometimes we just go through the paces, and like those tigers would really rather be someplace else, in the end, there we are. Needing to put one foot (or paw) ahead of the other, and do our bit to help make it all work. Even if it means jumping through hoops of fire. And though it often seems that we barely finish up one part of life and we need to get moving on to the next--so be it. Such is life. And, yes, we may need to wash our hands, but we life can still be good, it can be very good, or as my youngest grandson might put it, "Awesome!"

I don't know when the circus will come our way again. I don't know if I'll go back. But I'm glad I caught it this time around for it reminded me again that what makes for a good night out--not to mention a good life--is sharing it with those you love.