Shobo's blog

To be a "fool for Christ"

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

plans for new year

Well it's been since Dec since last post and thought I'd keep you ( who ever you are) updated with what's going on..Well I'm gonna run a Clown class for some of the kids interested from Kid's alley in Camden..We were only going to take 4  but 6 showed up and were interested in taking the 6 week course I wrote up.never did a class but been clowning so long and have a lot of good notes i thought we could do something special @ Kid's alley..We took all 6 so keep me in prayer as we start this new adventure My Schedule is starting to get real busy with Kristen Wedding coming up in April and Nina and Adam's Baby due in May...
OH year Buster and I got to clown around for Ronald McDonald House At Front and Erie..It was their 5th year "birthday'" party
Also My article for the Big Top MACA news Letter came out in Jan also..thought maybe you would like to see it sooo:


Why I Clown…

     I was all prepared to write an article about my summer camp trip entitled “What I did During Summer Camp”.  Thirty of us attended the first ever American Clown Academy in Newark Ohio over the summer months.  We had 6 different instructors for 5 FULL days of information.  I learned more in 5 days than 25 years of clowning.  It was a great experience of learning the art of clowning.  I’d like to tell you more about it in future articles or during a conversation we might have.  But, what I really learned is having a heart for clowning and developing a good “character”.
     I really enjoy clowning around for a group called “Kid’s Alley” based out of Camden NJ.  It’s any organization that centers on the kids of Camden, and to try to give them a safe place to be kids, while learning different skills to better themselves.  Every time I go, I am greeted with BIG smiles and hugs from the kids there.  One particular little one stayed around me a lot and was almost to a point of being around me TOO MUCH. His feistiness was evident but his little eyes of amazement would stay with me forever. 
     Recently, in the news, there was a story of a little child who was killed while trying to save his older sister from being attacked by an intruder at 2 AM.  Apparently the attacker was on what is called WET, which is Marijuana with PCB.  Like most stories, you feel bad but chalk it off as what happens in one of the worst crime cites in the US.  But this story was different because it involved a little one.  Pastor Viv, who runs Kid’s Alley, was over my house and showed me the picture of the little guy and said it was one of “her kids”.  Looking at the photo brought chills up my back as I remembered those same eyes, and his feisty nature. His “spunk” saved his 12 year old sister’s life.  I remember Dominick very well and my wife and I went to his very sad viewing. 
     I remember Dominick because of the energy he had even in such a dark place of Camden.  I was privileged enough to be able to bring some joy into his life even in a crime infested community.
     Why I clown? Well, it’s for kids like Dominick.  You have no idea what each kid is going though at home, at school or in their community, when you meet them.   As a clown, it’s your unique duty and privilege to bring some joy and happiness in their lives, even for a brief moment in time…
     Clowning is an art to learn and cherished, so that someday you can bring “life” into someone’s world.  It’s not only a privilege, but a responsibility to clown and do it right.  What an honor it is to see those “eyes of wonder’ come into your life, and to be able to share a moment of laughter.
     My Prayer is that we all learn every time we go to a clown convention, every time we read an informative book, or every time we watch a profession entertainer.  Seek those times of education to better yourself, even after many years of training. You never know what an impact you may have on that child or adult that day.  We are given a responsibility to be our best so we can give our best, to clown for the young at heart, so we might have a chance to clown for kids like Dominick Andujor