They Save.

Yes, clowns still terrify me. I’m afraid they’ll disappear for the moment, that the feats they’ve accomplished as our beloved heroes will be forgotten.

«Clowns scare me,» we’ve all heard it at some point. It’s a recurring phrase that can come from people of all ages. They flee at the thought of seeing an adult dressed up in extremely colorful, hurried, uncoordinated clothes, as if they wanted to unleash the entire rainbow they carry inside in front of the audience. I agree with people.

Clowns scare me too. It disturbs me that they always wear a smile plastered from ear to ear when, after the show or after the quinceañera of that girl who was popular with the whole neighborhood, the world descends into terror and misfortune. Are the characters they bring to life strong enough to piece together the fragments of the smile they leave behind when their star performance begins? I’ve always wondered.

How I wish they were eternal! Like mom, dad, and grandparents. What a joy they bring when the sun bothers us more than usual and we’re too lazy to face the inevitable. I wish I had a clown best friend! Someone who embodies teachings, riddles, sound, and warmth—lots of human warmth.

Did I even mention that they heal the soul, and that’s truly unsettling? Just like doctors. They return the soul to the body and then teleport you to an astral plane brimming with sparks and music. Surgeons of cunning and connection within a collective. They know everything. They know math, literature, science, art. They know when my heart aches or when life hurts. They know where to find laughter when there is none and where to store tears where there was no room.

The teachers who teach us about positivity and the magic that truly exists, the tangible kind, the kind within reach of a kiss, a hug, or a kind word. I envy the little ones. They live unaware that the day will come when they’ll want to shrink back and return to playing with dolls so that on their birthday, an adult, wrapped in circles, stars, and songs, can sing them a Christmas carol without Christmas or remind them that they are just as valuable as the dazzling protagonist of their favorite cartoon on TV.

Yes, clowns still terrify me. I’m afraid they’ll disappear for the moment, that the feats they’ve accomplished as our beloved heroes will be forgotten. Christopher Columbus couldn’t discover the innermost and most complex worlds that existed in plain sight. Without shields, without arrows, only with dreams. They save us.

Written by Lizt Lauren García.