In May of 2017, Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus called it quits. Back then, when I heard that news, I wondered, “If there’s no circus, who are kids going to run away with?”

Remember the old Disney movie “Toby Tyler.” It’s a “run away with the circus” show that I remember from my childhood.

Feld Entertainment, which owned the Ringling circus, faced the challenges of dwindling audiences in the years prior to shutting down. Animal rights groups applied pressure. Elephant acts were discontinued. Evidently not having elephants, the stars of the show, drove attendance numbers down even further.

There are still a number of smaller circuses that travel around the United States. I gather that Covid-19 times have put many of those shows on hiatus.

As I was thinking about circuses, I remembered a column which appeared in this space some years ago. I believe it’s relevant and a version of it bears repeating. So here you go. Keep reading and you’ll get the “circus connection” in a few paragraphs.

The word “drama” is defined on my pop-up computer dictionary as: ” 1. A play for theater, radio or television, and 2. An exciting, emotional or unexpected series of events or set of circumstances.

Drama is a word that has become very popular in our society it seems. When people talk about their own problems or other people and their problematic lives, they often refer to it as “drama.” Someone might say of me, “Stay clear of Merrill. He has so much drama in his life.”

There are people who seem to thrive on drama. If something isn’t going wrong or causing stress in their lives, they’ll work hard to find something to continue having a big dramatic hub-bub going on. Or, if all else fails, they’ll elevate a small annoyance into major drama.

I don’t know the source, but I read a quote recently. “Some people create their own storms and then get mad when it rains.”

A while back, my wife brought a Polish proverb to my attention. The proverb is: “Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys.” Here’s the way I think a person should apply this proverb into their own life. Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into another person’s nonsense or drama, repeat to yourself the words: “Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys.”

Sometimes it’s not always easy for me to find the boundaries between my “circus” and someone else’s. When dealing with family, work, community, church, and everything else in life, the lines get blurry when deciding whether to get involved in the drama.

Here are some sayings and quotes that are helpful on this subject of minding one’s own business. Some are good comebacks to people who can’t help but jump into the middle of everyone else’s circus.

“If you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say anything at all.” (The flip side of that is, “If you can’t say something good about someone, come right over here and sit down by me and tell me all about it.”)

“My Life. My Choices. My Mistakes. My Lessons. Not Your Business”

“The hardest part of a business, is minding your own”

“Why is it that people with the narrowest of minds seem to have the widest of mouths?”

“Hey, I found your nose. It was in my business again.”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t realize that you’re an expert on my life and how I should live it! Please, continue while I take notes…”

“Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others” (H. Jackson Brown, Jr.)

“When I say ‘ It’s a long story,’ it usually means that I just don’t want you to know all of my business”

“Never choose sides, if the argument has nothing to do with you.”

“He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.” (The Bible — Proverbs 26:17)

Okay — are we all clear on this now? “Your Circus, Your Monkeys.” “My Circus, My Monkeys.” I know, I know. It’s easier said than done. But I’ll try, if you will. — — Merrill

P.S. There may be times when I’ll need some help with my circus and monkeys. When that happens, I’ll let you know.