Uncommon Journey: From Circus Life to Harvard and the Road to Redemption
Once upon a time in a distant land of heat and ponzis called Florida, there was a man. In his mid-50s, sitting in a broken-down, tattered trailer, baking in the heat of the Floridian sun. Penniless and hopeless, this man wondered what went wrong in his life. How could he, a man with a Harvard degree, end up in this situation? His colleagues had achieved great things in life, and he was there alone, sitting in a hot, dilapidated trailer that should have been condemned, wondering about how things could have gone so wrong in his life.
His marriages had all failed. His children hated him, his employment opportunities non-existent as his resume was filled with one-shot chances that never took off. In this land of ponzis, he too had unknowingly fallen into their snares. There were so many things he would have done differently in life. Oh, how different his life could have been as he counted the multiple ways it could have been.
Sitting in his tattered chair in his tattered living room, he reminisced about his past. There he was, standing, young and strong in the middle of a tent arena, juggling fire to entertain an awed crowd. For you see, this man grew up in a traveling circus. His life was punctuated with constant moves. Every few days during the circus season, he, along with his family — both his biological and circus family — would move from city to city. There was never a dull moment, and along the way, he learned all the things being both a circus performer and employee. He learned how to entertain, how to clean, work concessions, do security, get paid from unscrupulous promoters, and deal with all types of personalities from every walk of life. By the time he was a teenager, he had far better social skills and business acumen than most adults. He learned a lot as the circus was a place of many lost and lonely souls who had left behind lives to find a new life with a new surrogate family. He was a quick study of academic matters for someone who never had a traditional schooling career with all his constant school changes. That led to his need to become a quick study through self-teaching. He was so good at this that his college entrance examination scores were phenomenal, and with a strong application, including a memorable college essay of his personal story, he unexpectedly received a coveted slot in the incoming freshman class at Harvard.
Harvard was different from the circus. It was not a place of seeking belonging. No, this was a place where people already belonged. There were the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of historical figures, titans of industry, and heirs to literal thrones in some cases. These people had a place waiting for them, no matter what life path they chose. At Harvard, he discovered that his life story was one of a kind, and the world of academia seemed a universe apart from the wandering spirits he had known in the circus. Yet, it was his unusual upbringing that provided him with an edge — resilience, adaptability, and creativity. Nevertheless, even with these disadvantages, he was able to quickly adapt. His years in the circus made it easy for him to get along with others. His unique background also brought creativity and problem-solving skills that many of his peers lacked. He had seen different cultures and ways of life, and he was able to bring those experiences with him.
The years at Harvard were exciting and expensive. But as with all things, time passed onward. Upon graduation, he returned home and found that the circus industry was in steep decline. His family was struggling financially and emotionally. Always the entrepreneur, he tried other ventures. But they all failed, leaving him in deep financial trouble and feeling like he had nothing to offer.
Things had slowly degraded to the point where we now return to him sitting in his oven of a trailer. You would think as this story closes that this man’s personal story was near its end. And it may have been for most people. But one thing changed for him.
One night, lying on his sweat-soaked mattress, he remembered. Yes, it all started to flood into his brain at once. He remembered. He remembered.
He remembered his own story. For all these years, he had run away from his life. Perhaps even if only subconsciously trying to distance himself from his unusual and humble origins. But now he set aside his insecurities and remembered his unique experiences growing up in the circus. His story was different. It was wildly different from any of his classmates at Harvard, and his experiences didn’t even match remotely his neighbors in the scattered surrounding trailers.
He accepted that his beginning was different. He accepted his journey was different. So his pathway forward would also be different. He decided to start a new business that drew on his circus background, and it took off. His ability to think creatively and problem-solve, skills he had learned from his years in the circus, made the difference. Instead of running away from his past, he ran towards it. He threw open his arms wide and embraced it.
Years went by, and his name became known around the world, not only for his success and wealth but also for his generosity. His ability to help lonely and lost souls. His ability to connect with anyone and leave them with a smile. His ability to repair his own and others broken family bonds. He realized that everything — the circus, Harvard, the circus failure, his personal failures, financial failures — were all part of a journey. With a pathway so crooked and jagged, who could imagine how the story could end? He surely could not have.
So let this parable speak to you. No matter what you have gone through or are suffering now, your story is just as unique. Don’t be ashamed of your journey to this point. Embrace it. No matter the trials, tribulations, and shames it may entail. Just know that your journey is what makes you — you. And that one day your story will be someone else’s textbook. We should never be ashamed of our backgrounds, but instead, use them to our advantage. In the end, it’s our unique journey that leads to our own one-of-a-kind happily ever after.
