Freakshow Deluxe

Last week I got to see Freakshow Deluxe at the Magic Castle. They performed a number of classic effects, freak show and fakir sorts of things. I'm no judge, but I was under the impression that they were doing a good job of it.

The theme of everything they presented seemed to be doing something nasty and painful and not suffering any ill effect from doing so. Frankly, this put me off initially. Maybe because of there being no ill effect--understand me, I don't want damage I want transformation. Years ago I worked with troubled teens. They had a horrifying ability to endure, I fiercely wanted them to be able to *transform* their experience.

But as I thought about this act later, I can see how there can be some Shadowy, psychological cathartic theater in all this. For all my fussing about "transformation," I also can see the value in being able to just get up and walk away from some of the nastiness that presents itself to our lives. When overhearing folks going on about hooha they are "dealing with" in their lives, I sometimes have to really bite my lip to keep from jumping into a conversation about which I really know nothing and say--"why are you even paying this much attention to this garbage?! Walk away from it!" Sure "whatever" happens, and you walk away from it without a mark.

Oddly enough, I had to undergo some oral surgery this week. It was thoroughgoingly unpleasant, for me and for the staff. The poor surgeon stood there unhelpfully saying, " I don't know why it would hurt, I numbed you up... Your hyperventilating is making the anesthetic wear off faster...." So ready to lunge out of my own skin but having to endure a necessary procedure, I thought about the Freakshow. I'm coming out of all this with out any ill effects, I thought to myself.