Two times a year I organize play times with
children and we make hearts and send them to Dr.
Patch Adams to give out on his house calls to the
planet. This has been going on for 11 years.
When I first met the good doctor in 2009 he
reached into his enormous pockets and pulled out
hand fulls of hearts he'd received from me with a
gigantic smile. 'The stories these hearts could
tell...' Patch told me...
About Passion and Crazy Big Fun 2009
Hello dear CLOWNS AND CLOWNESSES: Hearts of my heart, I want to share with
you some of my impressions of my clown trip that I made to Moscow and St.
Petersburg, November, 2009 with Dr. Patch Adams, who is changing the world
one person at a time. Every person he meets is an opportunity to exchange a
loving smile, a funny gesture, a hug, a thoughtful deed. A whole and authentic
person he is committed to helping the world as long as hunger and violence
exist.
The trip was a love fest, a happening, as exquisite as the 35 clowns from 11
countries who made up our clown family. Clowns of so many confections: Santa,
Lars dressed in a pink tutu and ladybug leotards, Yellow man, Orange man,
Meta, Kiki, Sweetie and Slapstick, Antoska, Numbers, Rossi-Babushka and Freek
our elder clown at 86 and Argen our junior clown at 16 and many more unique
and loving clowns.
I made this same trip in 2000, after which the inspiration and energy came to
adopt our beautiful daughter Anne. Also, the beginnings of beading hearts.
The hearts are love medicine. This trip I wanted to do activities with kids so
they would have the pleasure and satisfaction of making something with their
hands: origami and beaded hearts. I brought over with me 100 hand beaded
hearts made by Canadian kids what were a huge hit everywhere. A stellar
moment with the origami was in an orphanage with 7 kids aged 12-14, their
English teacher and five clowns. We all made origami pianos and then played
rocking versions of "Do the Hokie-Pokie" and Russian songs. Those little
origami pianos rocked the place out.
I fondly remember the opportunity we had to visit an old age home 3 hours
outside of Moscow. There were many bed ridden elders. I spoke with
Baboushka Olga, 89 years old, who cried and we hugged and smiled and she let
me cuddle her. I gave her a heart, her only possession, she lovingly laid it on
her night table. I asked her if she was afraid to die. She heaved a sigh of relief,
her eyes came alive, and she babbled how she was anticipating a reunion with
her beloved mother and father, who she so dearly missed. In another section of
the home was a corridor lined with men on both sides sitting on chairs,
motionless. Orange Man blew up a giant yellow balloon and everyone very
quickly was moving and laughing and batting the balloon. I commented
afterwards how little it took to wake up the place. When we arrived the home
had seemed catatonic. Patch replied (I paraphrase), "It's like a cheap
amusement park, you put in 10 cents and the place grinds to life". It takes so
little to touch a life.
We met street kids who were laughing after five minutes of clown contact. This
was the day I forgot my clown props and had to wing it on personality alone and
much to my surprise I connected even more deeply with just myself to offer.
Another lesson. I am enough. I held babies, beautiful babies, how they brought
blissful memories of my own babies. Their little warm bodies abandoned and
pressed into mine, gurgles, corn silk fly away hair, little baby parts. I hugged a
ward of young children, with facial disfigurements, that their parents absolutely
adored. Thank you for this inspiration on acceptance. We had the privilege of
visiting an orphanage for mentally challenged children who were wild with
happiness to play with us. These brilliant children guided and gestured to me to
stroke other children's hair, backs and tummies. There was a sense of deep
caring for all the children and they wanted to make sure I knew what mattered:
to rub and hug and love.
Every person I met was extraordinary. Each life a work of art. Together we
created an oeuvre. That's community. There were a few special clownesses I
connected with. Gotta say though, everyone was great and had something to
share and teach me, their individual brand of loving. So delicious and yummy.
Loving is the key to a life worth living. There are so many kindnesses to
express loving. I want to dedicate the rest of my life to loving. And, when I am
not loving, I want to look within and deal with what's getting in the way of loving.
Upon returning, my dear neighbour since 20 years, Barbara Singer (65),
suddenly died. Her life was all about loving, and when I think of her, I think of a
new world economy where a mothers love is currency of tremendous value.
Where love is the new economy. I just love this idea. Clowns would be hugely
rich.
A few days after returning from Russia, the Ville de Ste. Agathe (my town)
offered to assist me to FUN-D Raise to return to Russia in 2010. I was 'Bouch
bey' french for mouth gapping open catching swarms of flies, I croaked, hell
yeah!!!! I was giddy with joy. The people of Ste. Agathe were hugely generous
and gave me $1355.00 to return to Russia, and two funky, outrageous, women
are committed to coming on the trip. The great gift was to be Pinka for the
weekend. My pockets were stuffed with balloons. I tangoed and polkaed the
dance of love for three days. I collected over 200 hugs to deliver in 2010.
Thank you for your reading time. YALLOW BLU VAS, I love you, Pinka Clown
xxxxxxxxxxxxxooooooooooooooooooooooo
I'd like to share a wonderful clown quote that, in my opinion, describes the
essence of clowning: "An important archetype ... is the contemporary clown...
The fool performs a sacred role in the community - the mirror to the people of
their ethic and possibilities, a teller of truth standing naked in the marketplace
and confronting the powerful with playful disorder, a beggar, a storyteller, a
magician. Few things are more awesome than a clown let loose in the streets."
Ken Feit
Andrée Chartrand
painter, heartmaker, artist, clown
painter, heartmaker, artist, clown
