If I actually became a Clown

Buzzfeed recently posted “What should you write today?,” a set of prompts that you can select at random to write about. I happened to choose this one: “Write about what would happen if you unwaveringly followed your first childhood dream” and decided to blog about it here. I hope to use this resource more in the future to write about some fun topics!

I’m interpreting this prompt in terms of my career choices. My first childhood dream career was to be a clown — no joke. When i was in about the second grade, I was considered “the funniest girl” in my class alongside a boy named Nicholas who was the “funniest boy.” These titles were arbitrary, but we took them in pride.

Being funny came easily to me, and I figured it would be an enjoyable life career, so I remember trying to think of people who did it as a career. At the time, I didn’t know comedians were a thing or that there were other ways to use my humor, so I went for what felt like the obvious career choice: becoming a clown.

I had watched clowns on television, and I loved that they brought laughter to people. What a great gift to give with your job! If I unwaveringly followed this childhood dream, I definitely wouldn’t be in graduate school today. I would have attended some clown college, I’m sure, and learned the ins and outs of painting my face brightly and riding a unicycle — at least that’s what I imagine would happen.

I wouldn’t be so concerned with dressing professionally or taking care of my hair, since a wig would cover it up regularly anyway. I would attend dozens of birthday parties and probably be a rounder person in shape (all that cake has to go somewhere!).

If I actually became a clown, I probably would use the trombone as part of my comedy act. Trombones can be hilarious instruments and kids love the sound of funny glisses right?

Clowning surely has its disadvantages too. No job is perfect right? I’m sure there would be lots of risks of injury in some of the things I might do. I’m also sure that I would have to deal with lots of crying children who just didn’t find clowns enjoyable.

So why didn’t I follow my early dream and become a clown? I eventually began to find them rather spooky (probably because of some Goosebumps book or Are You Afraid of the Dark? episode, and I couldn’t handle how fearful people were of clowns in that regard. “I don’t want to scare people,” I thought.

But I do still enjoy making people laugh when I can and “clowning around” with my friends. Just don’t expect to see me in face paint and a wig anytime soon.