A Sunday afternoon, I walked into the giant colorful vibrant tent holding both my mom's hand and my dad's hand. After walking and passing by several people who were also here for the show, we found our seats. My heart was racing with excitement; I despised waiting. Soon enough, the drum role erupted the entire tent illuminating a loud roar from the audience, and several acrobats, lion tamers, elephants (when they were still a part of it), jugglers, clowns, sprung from behind the curtain that originally separated them from the audience.

A voice from a distance announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus, present the Greatest Show on Earth."

For seven year old me (and every kid back then) this was "Greatest Show on Earth," and when Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey announced their last show, (on May 21st, 2017) due to the declining popularity of the show, my heart did sink a little.

Technology Wins

With the evolving technology that surrounds our world today, it makes sense that the original entertainment that amazed millions would fall below the next generation of iPads, and virtual reality entertainment. I wasn't a fan of the way they treated the animals in the circus where they forced them to live a life that wasn't made for wild life animals. I even had this feeling that the animals were overwhelmed and exhausted with these constant shows, so when the circus announced that they would finally be releasing elephants from the show, I was pleased.

I was more amazed by the other performers and their stunts than the animals. These stunts were what I considered the greatest part of the show. I would never be able to walk a tightrope several feet above the ground, twirl on a hoop or ride a motorcycle in a hoop sideways. These are the stunts we are losing to technology, and technology can't replace this. Seeing a Youtube video of an acrobat doing a stunt will never compare to sitting on the bleachers and seeing an acrobat ascended above your head.

Watching a circus act live could be compared to watching a concert live. Live version is better than a video online. For lots of families, including mine, this was our way of a family outing on rather than staring at a computer screen on a Sunday afternoon.

Technology wins, but in return we lose an art form that technology, at least for now ,can't deliver in the same way as a circus can.

To view the last performance by the Ringling Bros, and Barnum and Bailey view the video below.