Sally Schneider
Sally Schneider

The best way we’ve found to feel the old year pass into the new is at the Big Apple Circus‘ New Year’s Eve show. This is an old-fashioned one-ring circus that began in 1977 as the dream of two young street jugglers. The acts are RIGHT THERE in front of you, vivid and thrilling. You can see the sweat on an juggler’s forehead and the look of intense focus on the aerialist’s face. We gather together around the ring to watch astonishing performances in a ancient form of theater and witness perfect, ephemeral moments that will later live only in our hearts and memory.

Just before midnight, circus people pass out clown noses, paper hats, noisemakers and glasses of champagne.The audience is transformed in the silly get-up – even the shy Japanese couple sitting behind us one year had those big red noses on. And then the count-down begins of the last moments of the year : 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-ONE and suddenly, before we could even catch the change, we’re sitting in the New Year, with the circus band playing raucously as though to stay keep pace with the joy that is all around…

Then, we always call friends who live in earlier time zones where it is still last year, so we can say “Hi, we’re calling from the New Year!” and transmit its wild din and celebration. Our minds open to the strangely thrilling idea of a call from the future…

…where we’ll be wishing you “Happy New Year!”

If you’ve found illumination, joy, or inspiration in this post, please consider supporting Improvised Life. It only takes a minute to make a secure donation that helps pay our many costs. A little goes a long way towards helping Improvised Life continue to live ad-free in the world.

Support Improvised Life ♥

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *