It had been an adrenaline rush of a day. The day marked the 15-year anniversary of the date I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma – subsequently beaten into submission and obliterated – so I already had an extra spring in my size-16-Converse-hightops step.
Serendipitously, the first comment from a fellow elevator passenger was, “What great shoes!” “They keep me grounded,” I joked, adding, “And make me walk kind of funny, too.” After we landed – arrived at her floor – she laughed on the way out the door as I wished her a fantastic day.
Passed through one of the skybridges lined with bright red mylar balloons with the message: Breathing Matters.
Good clowning reminder. I took a couple of deep cleansing refocusing and centering breaths and readied for the play-filled encounters of the day.
Bounced down stairs. Animatedly pushed buttons and landed on automatic door pads, always surprised by the results. Sang a quick song to a 4-day old, with thanks from her mom. Offered up streams of bubbles to a crying 7-month old and her stressed mom – the crying quickly stopped, and then turned to giggles, and a relieved smile from mom. Loaded up a 14-year old onto his motorboat (gurney) on his way to get an x-ray. Held hands with grandparents holding hands with their 12-year old granddaughter in the ER, prompting her to say, “Wee!”
Abruptly changed Dr. Fowlbreath’s flight patterns around corners to avoid midair collisions. Then practiced his left turns: the rubber chicken doc makes a quick hard turn left, holds a fixed point, then pulls my forward progress into a hard left turn a half-step later. A bit of walkabout physical comedy.
While walking and chatting with one of the chaplains, a woman approached me with an excited look on her face. She wanted to tell me about her trip to Beijing, China with Patch Adams in 2000 and loved that I was hospital clowning. She absolutely glowed with the memories of that trip. I told her about the workshop I attended with Patch. She was a retired mental health professional, and that experience doing humanitarian clowning had been a thrill of a lifetime.
We were instant red-nosed kin, shared a big hug, and then greeted her husband who was in the hospital for some testing. Married 55 years! I bowed deeply in heartfelt acknowledgement and made them an anniversary rose.
So, my red nose friends, connect and engage. That’s where you’ll discover the magic and wonder and surprise of the moment.
Serendipitously, the first comment from a fellow elevator passenger was, “What great shoes!” “They keep me grounded,” I joked, adding, “And make me walk kind of funny, too.” After we landed – arrived at her floor – she laughed on the way out the door as I wished her a fantastic day.
Passed through one of the skybridges lined with bright red mylar balloons with the message: Breathing Matters.
Good clowning reminder. I took a couple of deep cleansing refocusing and centering breaths and readied for the play-filled encounters of the day.
Bounced down stairs. Animatedly pushed buttons and landed on automatic door pads, always surprised by the results. Sang a quick song to a 4-day old, with thanks from her mom. Offered up streams of bubbles to a crying 7-month old and her stressed mom – the crying quickly stopped, and then turned to giggles, and a relieved smile from mom. Loaded up a 14-year old onto his motorboat (gurney) on his way to get an x-ray. Held hands with grandparents holding hands with their 12-year old granddaughter in the ER, prompting her to say, “Wee!”
Abruptly changed Dr. Fowlbreath’s flight patterns around corners to avoid midair collisions. Then practiced his left turns: the rubber chicken doc makes a quick hard turn left, holds a fixed point, then pulls my forward progress into a hard left turn a half-step later. A bit of walkabout physical comedy.
While walking and chatting with one of the chaplains, a woman approached me with an excited look on her face. She wanted to tell me about her trip to Beijing, China with Patch Adams in 2000 and loved that I was hospital clowning. She absolutely glowed with the memories of that trip. I told her about the workshop I attended with Patch. She was a retired mental health professional, and that experience doing humanitarian clowning had been a thrill of a lifetime.
We were instant red-nosed kin, shared a big hug, and then greeted her husband who was in the hospital for some testing. Married 55 years! I bowed deeply in heartfelt acknowledgement and made them an anniversary rose.
So, my red nose friends, connect and engage. That’s where you’ll discover the magic and wonder and surprise of the moment.
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