In 1841 P.T.
Barnum bought out a museum in New York City. He had a vision to add attractions
to the museum to make money. He saw beauty and entertainment where others saw
unattractiveness and oddities. Vision is something a lot of great people have,
and it can be said that P.T. Barnum was a man of vision and greatness. Some of
his first live attractions included 161-year-old Joice Heth, the “FeeJee
Mermaid” and “General Tom Thumb”. Barnum made a community for those that
society deemed outcasts.
Over the years
his show grew, and he added people and attractions. Traveled to Europe and even
performed for the Queen of England. Barnum had many setbacks including having
his museum burn down twice. After the last fire, instead of giving up, he
joined forces with others from his show and started the Ringling Brothers and
Barnum and Baily Circus. The rest they say, is history.
Sometimes as
children we dream of running off to join the circus. A way to play all the time
with the animals and excitement. As we get older and have more
responsibilities, we have the same dream, mainly to escape being an adult.
Growing up, we all have grand dreams of having wonderful lives. Some want to
travel, or to be famous, while others want to be wealthy. I remember when I was
younger, and we started showing cattle. My parents and sister would talk about
going to the Big Show. It really didn’t register with me until later in life. I
remember the first time we attended the Houston Livestock Show. It was a
wonderful experience and one of the Greatest Shows on Earth.
Being part of
the greatest show can mean many things to many people. For livestock people who
show, it can range from their County Fair, all the way their National Show. It
might be the National Western in Denver or even the Fort Worth Stock Show. The Greatest Show will always have an impact
on you, whether you win or lose.
When you are 7
or 8-year-old playing little league sports, the greatest show might be making
it to the playoffs. For the young girl in ballet class it might be getting to
be the lead in the nut cracker. P.T Barnum had a vision and dream, he was
always working towards that goal. The key to his success is he didn’t give up.
It should teach us all to never give up while we strive for that goal.
Defining the
Greatest Show will be varying amongst different people. For instance, just
because a person might excel in one area of their life, that might not be their
true passion. Not all people who are great at math are accountants. When you
are growing up we all have big dreams and ideas. A lot of people want to be
doctors, lawyers, nurses or even teachers. Some want to be famous and be on Broadway,
play professional sports, or be on the big screen. The Greatest Show can mean
many things to many people. You might have a PHD in Astrophysics, yet you are
also the guitarist for the legendary group Queen. The Greatest Show can be
anything you want it to be in your life.
There was a
young man when I was growing up that always had great steers and did very well
with them across the country. He was also a phenomenal concert pianist. From a
young age he showed great talent and abilities. A young woman who grew up on a
family cattle farm and perused her passion for law. She was top of her class in
school, college and law school, owning her own law practice. She eventually
went to work for legal aid which she loved. The she found her Greatest Show as
being a mother.
Young people
should always be encouraged to pursue their passions. There are some
obligations of the parents or leaders involved. Parents, youth leaders,
teachers or coaches all share a responsibility to help provide the much-needed
guidance and focus for those seeking their Greatest Show. If you have a child
that says they want to try something different every other week, you need to
provide the focus they are too young to probably have in seeing the big picture.
You are there to guide them and give them focus. Help them see what is
important to them and not for you. For the parents or leaders who use their
kids to relieve their childhoods, you should re-evaluate your priorities. Help the
children find their Greatest Show.
What is your Greatest
Show? For P.T. Barnum his vision of the greatest show kept growing. It evolved
over time. He started out wanting to bring these beautiful oddities to the
world. He ended up created the Circus. The same can be done for every child out
there in this world. Their greatest show might only be sitting at the NBA
Finals watching the final game. For others it might be arguing a case before
the Supreme Court of the United States. Whatever your greatest show is, you
should always remember, the path to get there will not be easy, the final
performance though, will be the greatest one.
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