Wow, that’s a lot of money for some tickets to a show. That doesn’t even include any popcorn, drinks or any of the stuff we usually end up buying either.
The t-shirts, the hats, the other stuff that the kids will surely want.
Think of all the things that much money would buy.
Okay, okay. We said that we were going to change gears. That if we want to change our spending we need to change our priorities first.
Experiences before acquisition of material goods.
Doing beats having.
Buy the tickets.
Patiently waiting
The excitement of going to the show. Seeing the big tent for the first time! Everything is so colorful. Flags waving in the breeze, people starting to line up.
The urgency of having to use the bathroom before the fabric doors to the big tent open. The agony of going to the back of the long line for the bathroom.
The utter boredom of having to wait outside the big tent now that the bathroom break is over.
How many lifetimes can thirty minutes last?
The elation that the doors are finally open!
Chaos of people all excited to see the show. Good thing the seats are assigned and we don’t have to fight the crowd for good seats.
Dissapointment of more waiting. How many doors do we have to wait for?
Anticipation. What time does the show start? What time is it now? When do these doors open? Can we get popcorn? Can we get a soda? What time is it? When do these doors open? I’m tired. I’m hungry. Why can’t we go in yet? What time is it? I’m thirsty.
Another lifetime or two.
Relief that the doors are now open!
Woo Hoo!
Let’s see… Door 7. Row C. Seats 19-22. Wow, look how close the stage is! Is that a giant egg? What time is it? When does the show start? What’s that? I’m hungry. Is it starting yet?
Whoa! Look at that! Are those bugs? I like the Ladybug!
How do they do that? That looks like a giant spider web!
That is totally awesome!
Thank you for bringing us to the circus Daddy! – Nathan
Okay, that made it all worth it. I would pay twice the amount those tickets cost to see the wonder and amazement in my children’s eyes. Seeing a live show for the first time. Especially a Cirque Du Soliel show of wonderous costumes and amazing acrobatics.
Live music. The excitement of the crowd. The hidden secrets of the stage. The characters in the story.
This is a day that will live forever in our memories. The sights, sounds and feeling of wonder at the spectacle before us. Jaw dropping acts of athleticism. The universal humor in over-acted emotion and pratfalls.
Still more amazement in their eyes. Fear that the show is over when the intermission begins.
Near disbelief at the trampoline antics of the characters as they juggle themselves against a climbing wall for the grand finale.
As we exit the show and head back to the bus that will shuttle us back to our car, our three year old daughter yells out, “Good Bye Circus! We’ll miss you!” Smiles all around.
Our son is nearly in tears he is so sad that it is over already. Both kids ask if we can come back again tomorrow. Both respond with the same, “Awwwww!” when I inform them that we only had tickets for the one show.
Yes, when you look at the the dollar amount by itself, this looks like a frivolous expense. However, the joy in the eyes of our children is priceless. The smiles, the clapping until their hands are numb. The emotion that is so apparent on their faces. The way they connected with certain characters and cheered them on. All these things are worth more than the price of the tickets.
Anything that we would have purchased for that amount would most likely be discarded and forgotten long before the memory of the day fades.
We will always have the fond memory of the first live performance that we saw as a family and the joy it brought to our children.
This is why we have decided that doing beats having. Are there things we are wanting and saving for? You bet! A boat being one of them. However, the reason for the “stuff” is simply to be able to expose our family to more “doing”.
This is how we plan on spending our future.
One Response to A Day At The Circus And Why Doing Beats Having