About 40 years ago, the circus came to town. The Great American Circus. Tiny Tim was traveling with the circus. He sang and played the ukulele. His rendition of “Tiptoe Through The Tulips” made him famous and very well known in the ‘60s. During those days, he appeared on television. He was married to his wife, Miss Vickie, on the Johnny Carson show

The Great American Circus was going to set up their Big Top on the fairground, right outside of town. At that time, I was laid off at the mill where I worked. My unemployment benefits had run out. I hopped in my old Ford and swung by my parents house to pick up my younger brother Brian. He was 20, unemployed. He reluctantly tagged along.

When we got to the fairgrounds, the roustabouts, along with quite a few guys like me and my brother, sat on top of the bleachers inside the big top. The top was already up. There was a tough looking older guy who greeted us briefly, took note of the time, then sent us off to a group of men standing off to the side. This older gentleman was barking orders to various people at times. He seemed to have the role of a labor foreman. The roustabouts were calling him Pappy. Brian was helping another man carry planks to others who were assembling the bleachers. At one point, I heard a roustabout tell Brian, “Don’ look at the clouds. The work is on the ground.”

It was busy, heavy work. Brian picked up the pace and they left him alone. When the bleachers were assembled, some of the men and women who had been working with us hurried off to change into their costumes. It dawned on me that the performers had worked right alongside us to set up the show, except for Tiny Tim. They paid us in cash. Decent pay for a laborer of that time.

Then they asked us if anyone wanted to stay on and travel with them. Only a few raised their hands. I could only imagine that would have been a rough road.

At that time, people started to flow into the circus. When the bleachers were full, Pappy reappeared dressed as the ringmaster. I stayed for the show. There were tigers, an elephant, clowns, magicians, trapeze artists, acrobats, tightrope walkers, knife throwers, zebras, a lot of monkeys, a band, and various vendors. Not only that, but how many people can claim they have seen Tiny Tim perform in person.