{"id":448316,"date":"2022-05-17T13:28:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T10:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/outside-the-box-10-things-being-a-clown-taught-me-about-life\/"},"modified":"2022-05-17T13:28:00","modified_gmt":"2022-05-17T10:28:00","slug":"outside-the-box-10-things-being-a-clown-taught-me-about-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/outside-the-box-10-things-being-a-clown-taught-me-about-life\/","title":{"rendered":"#Outside the Box: 10 things being a clown taught me about life"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a393e96eea8e\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a393e96eea8e\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/outside-the-box-10-things-being-a-clown-taught-me-about-life\/#%E2%80%9COutside_the_Box_10_things_being_a_clown_taught_me_about_life%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Outside the Box: 10 things being a clown taught me about life&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/outside-the-box-10-things-being-a-clown-taught-me-about-life\/#Larry_Sayler\" >Larry Sayler<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9COutside_the_Box_10_things_being_a_clown_taught_me_about_life%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Outside the Box: 10 things being a clown taught me about life&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<h2 class=\"article__subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\">\n<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"column column--full article__content\">\n<div class=\"article__side\">\n<div class=\"container--sticky not-active\">\n<div id=\"cx-next\" data-nosnippet>\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"js-article__body\" class=\"article__body article-wrap at16-col16 barrons-article-wrap\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-sbid=\"WP-MKTW-0000875340\" role=\"document\">\n<div class=\"barrons-article-ad-wrapper\">\n<div data-track=\"barrons-article-ad-wrap\" class=\"barrons-article-ad sticky_item\">\n<div class=\"barrons-main-article-ad-target sticky_target body_ad\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-layout=\"\n                inline\" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n          media-object\n          type-InsetArticleReader\n              \n              inline\n  article__inset\n          article__inset--type-InsetArticleReader\n              article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p>\n<div class=\"media-object-article-reader\">\n<div class=\"audioplayer\" data-sbid=\"WP-MKTW-0000875340\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Listen to Article\" tabindex=\"-1\" id=\"articlereader\" data-show-title=\"false\" data-theme=\"wsj-article-reader\" data-show-header=\"false\" data-show-subscribe=\"false\" data-ads-enabled=\"true\" data-save-publication=\"false\">\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>       Recently I wrote about five financial\u00a0lessons\u00a0I learned at Ringling Bros. and Barnum &amp; Bailey\u2019s Clown College. But Clown College didn\u2019t just offer financial lessons\u2014it also offered valuable life lessons.<\/p>\n<p> It was a topic I used to discuss with my students. For the last 16 years of my career, I taught college accounting courses. I encouraged the students to lead lives of reflection and learn from their experiences. I would share a short PowerPoint presentation, \u201cTop 10 Life Lessons from Clown College.\u201d I illustrated each lesson with pictures of clowns, acrobats or elephants. I hoped students would find it amusing. When I started teaching, I discovered\u2014much to my surprise\u2014that some students thought accounting was boring.<\/p>\n<div class=\"paywall\">\n       <strong>Read:<\/strong> Why retirees don\u2019t like annuities<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. We stand on the shoulders of giants.<\/strong>\u00a0During its more than 130-year existence, Ringling Bros. named only four master clowns: Otto Griebling (born 1896), Lou Jacobs (1903), Bobby Kaye (1908) and Glen \u201cFrosty\u201d Little (1925). All four were early inductees into the International Clown Hall of Fame. The three younger ones were among the many instructors we had at Clown College when I attended in 1978. Clowns know that their work is much better when they\u2019re taught by the best.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">App<\/a>earances are important.<\/strong>\u00a0A good, sturdy pair of all-leather, custom-made clown shoes costs at least $300. Professional clown wigs are handmade from yak hair. Clowns put a lot of time and effort into their costumes. Applying makeup often takes an hour. Good clowns spend the time and money to get everything right because they know that appearances are important.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. The show must go on.<\/strong>\u00a0The Flying Wallendas had a seven-person, three-high human pyramid walking a tightrope in Detroit in 1962 when the lead walker lost his balance and the pyramid collapsed. Two people fell to their death and a third was permanently paralyzed. All were family members. Karl Wallenda, the patriarch of the troupe, suffered several broken ribs. But the next day, he was back on the wire.<\/p>\n<p>The nation\u2019s greatest circus disaster was a fire in Hartford, Conn., on July 6, 1944. Flameproof canvas was reserved for America\u2019s World War II effort. To ensure it was waterproof, the Ringling tent had been coated with paraffin. When fire engulfed the big top, 167 people were killed. Five circus officials were criminally charged, and all profits for the next several years went to restitution. Yet, within days of the fire, the circus was again performing.<\/p>\n<p>When we face adversity, we often need to follow the advice of the now-famous maxim, \u201cKeep calm and carry on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read:<\/strong> Do you have the right investments for your retirement savings? This idiot-proof portfolio might help<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. It\u2019s important to have contingency plans.<\/strong>\u00a0Ringling used Jeep-like vehicles to move animal cages and prop wagons. During intermission at one show, these vehicles were moved into a circle around the big-cat cage that started the second half of the show. Each vehicle faced the cage and had a driver ready to turn on its headlights. A clown asked the performance director the reason for this unusual arrangement. The director replied, \u201cEarlier today, this building lost power because of thunderstorms. Storms are still in the area. If we lose power again, I don\u2019t want a performer in that cage in total darkness with all those animals.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"cx-membership-tile\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>5. Almost anyone can master the basics.<\/strong>\u00a0Decades ago, as an undergraduate, I taught juggling as a physical education class. As an accounting professor during the final years of my career, I also occasionally taught a phys ed juggling class. (My wife is quick to point out that I\u2019d made absolutely no progress in 40 years.) I tell students that anyone can learn to juggle if they receive good instruction and they practice. I would provide the good instruction; they must provide the practice. The students did indeed learn to juggle.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. To get good at something requires hard work.<\/strong>\u00a0The first thing taught in juggling is the basic three-ball cascade. From there, a new juggler might learn to throw from different positions\u2014under the opposing wrist, behind the back, under a leg. I enjoy juggling with a partner, exchanging balls at set times. A juggler can move on from balls to rings and clubs\u2014even flaming clubs, something I can still do. All these skills require significant training and practice. Difficulty increases exponentially.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. Pursue your dreams. Have long-term plans.<\/strong>\u00a0I learned about Clown College while in high school when Ringling Bros. came to my hometown. Because I expressed interest, one of the clowns talked to me about Clown College and gave me an application. Seven years later, I was walking down the streets of New York City with a bag of juggling equipment in one hand and homemade stilts in the other, heading to an audition at Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\n<p><strong>8. Give credit where credit is due.<\/strong>\u00a0In 1967, Irvin Feld bought Ringling Bros. and Barnum &amp; Bailey\u2019s Circus from descendants of the original Ringling family. The circus had only 14 clowns, most of them older than 50. Feld said he knew that Ringling clowns could fall down, but he didn\u2019t know if they\u2019d be able to get back up. Within a year, he opened Clown College. During its 30-year existence, Clown College trained 1,400 clowns. Thanks to Feld, American clowning was reinvigorated.<\/p>\n<p><strong>9. We have different strengths and abilities.<\/strong>\u00a0At Clown College, some people seemed to be natural musicians, and they formed a clown band. Some had a knack for unicycling or stilt walking, while others struggled with both. Some excelled at juggling or pie-throwing, others did not. That\u2019s OK. The circus needs all of these skills, just as the world needs people who have all sorts of strengths and abilities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>10. What unites us is greater than what divides us.<\/strong>\u00a0The circus routinely had acts from at least a dozen countries. Since its beginning, people who identify as LGBTQ have been part of the circus. Little people were always welcome. Many years ago, most clowns were white males. But over the past 50 years, the circus has had many talented female and Black clowns. The question always asked of a performer has not been about race, ethnicity or sexual orientation, but rather, \u201cWhat can you bring to the show?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>This column first appeared on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/humbledollar.com\/\" class=\"icon none\">Humble Dollar<\/a>. It was republished with permission<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Larry Sayler is the only person with a Wharton M.B.A. who also graduated from Ringling Bros. and Barnum &amp; Bailey\u2019s Clown College. Earlier in his career, he served as CFO for three manufacturing and service organizations. For 17 years before his retirement, Larry taught accounting at a small Christian college in the Midwest. His previous articles include\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/humbledollar.com\/2022\/03\/gifts-with-interest\/\" class=\"icon none\">Gifts With Interest<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/humbledollar.com\/2022\/02\/making-a-difference-2\/\" class=\"icon none\">Making a Difference<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"byline article__byline\">\n<p>    <span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author  hasMenu\" data-scrim='{\"type\":\"author\",\"header\":\"Larry Sayler\",\"subhead\":\"The Wall Street Journal\",\"list\":[]}' itemscope itemprop=\"author\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\">\n<h4 itemprop=\"name\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Larry_Sayler\"><\/span>Larry Sayler<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/news\/story.asp?guid=%7B20C05575-04D4-B545-7D5B-4CB3D04447C9%7D&#038;siteid=rss&#038;rss=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Outside the Box: 10 things being a clown taught me about life&#8221; Recently I wrote about five financial\u00a0lessons\u00a0I learned at Ringling Bros. and Barnum &amp; Bailey\u2019s Clown College. But Clown College didn\u2019t just offer financial lessons\u2014it also offered valuable life lessons. It was a topic I used to discuss with my students. For the last&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":448317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-545547\/social","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-448316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=448316"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448316\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/448317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=448316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=448316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=448316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}