In the summer of 1980 I got a brief note in the mail from my good old pal Tim Holst.
We had started out together as clowns on the Ringling Blue Unit back in 1971, and
he had been instrumental in interesting me in the LDS Church, and then baptizing
me into the same. In those simpler days before the advent of email and cell phones,
a letter from a friend was a tangible and much appreciated item -- to be read and reread,
and then put in a shoe box or a cigar box and stuck up in the attic to be forgotten about
until nearly forty years later -- in my case, the note was taped into my journal, and when
the journal was full, it was placed in a foot locker and put out in the garage for the next
30 odd years.
We had started out together as clowns on the Ringling Blue Unit back in 1971, and
he had been instrumental in interesting me in the LDS Church, and then baptizing
me into the same. In those simpler days before the advent of email and cell phones,
a letter from a friend was a tangible and much appreciated item -- to be read and reread,
and then put in a shoe box or a cigar box and stuck up in the attic to be forgotten about
until nearly forty years later -- in my case, the note was taped into my journal, and when
the journal was full, it was placed in a foot locker and put out in the garage for the next
30 odd years.
He wrote it on the back of one of the official Ringling Route Cards,
which detailed when and where the Greatest Show on Earth would
be appearing that season. When I received this note I and my wife Amy
were honeymooning in Provo, Utah, where I was going to Brigham Young
University. For the benefit of circus buffs and those interested in the Torkildson
Family Narrative, here is the text of Tim Holst’s letter, verbatim:
which detailed when and where the Greatest Show on Earth would
be appearing that season. When I received this note I and my wife Amy
were honeymooning in Provo, Utah, where I was going to Brigham Young
University. For the benefit of circus buffs and those interested in the Torkildson
Family Narrative, here is the text of Tim Holst’s letter, verbatim:
Dear Tork,
Jeff (Loseff) & I are rattling around this ‘ole’ show,
disturbed & frustrated ‘cause there have been few lines penned
from Provo. It concerns us . . . . Have you taken marriage too seriously???
Are you dead??? Have you changed friends??? Do we have bad breath??
Are we mere mongrels by comparison to those in the academic world???
Or, does your wife have you tied to household chores or gardening????
Have you been forced to do something against your will??? Like, like, Like . . . .
now let me see. Aw nuts, we just plain miss hearing from you . . . .
Have you heard of more than one baby Holst?
disturbed & frustrated ‘cause there have been few lines penned
from Provo. It concerns us . . . . Have you taken marriage too seriously???
Are you dead??? Have you changed friends??? Do we have bad breath??
Are we mere mongrels by comparison to those in the academic world???
Or, does your wife have you tied to household chores or gardening????
Have you been forced to do something against your will??? Like, like, Like . . . .
now let me see. Aw nuts, we just plain miss hearing from you . . . .
Have you heard of more than one baby Holst?
All the Polish folks have been drunk for three days since the strike ended.
Clown college starts Sept. 15th.
Contracts are coming, and so are the Saturday Blues.
Till you hear from me again,
Your friend,
Tim
(It should be noted that at the time of this letter Tim Holst was the Performance Director
for the Ringling Red Unit, and Jeff Loseff was the Assistant Performance Director for the Red Unit.)
for the Ringling Red Unit, and Jeff Loseff was the Assistant Performance Director for the Red Unit.)
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