Clowns!

Creepy or Silly?

Perspective is an essential trait that carries our truth yet might not be felt with the same admiration as another. 

My husband and I recently attended the Chocolate Fantasy Ball benefiting the Ronald McDonald House here in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was a chance for us to get dressed up, eat great food, indulge in some cocktails, and win auction items while supporting a charity that we admire and respect.

Upon entering the event, the Chief Happiness Officer Ronald McDonald was there to greet us with his vibrant personality and memorable colorful smile. He was lovely. Kind, personable, and, might I say, authentically in character. Hair, makeup, costume, everything was meticulously in place to showcase his persona. I’ll never know how they hid his eyebrows behind that white makeup.

Ronald mingled with the attendees throughout the night, helped emcee the event, facilitated the auction, and so much more. As the Ball was ending, I decided to beat the crowd and head to the area where I needed to collect the item I won during the silent auction. And there he was still, spreading joy.

I happened to be the first person ready to check out, and the staff wasn’t quite prepared, so I just stood and watched as Ronald continued to sprinkle sunshine among the event staff. He seemed to be in all his glory. I stood with one of the coordinators, and Ronald approached us because he was ready to leave. I asked if I could get a photo with him for my kids, and he pulled me in close as if we’d been friends for a lifetime, and we smiled in unison. Then he was on his merry way, grabbing his Uber to catch a flight, heading to his next event destination.

Clowns have always creeped me out. Thanks to John Wayne Gacy and Stephen King. But after attending this event and watching this man who 100% embodied kindness and shared joy with over 1,000 people in one night, I’m in awe of his tenacity to stay in character and do his job, which is simplified as spreading happiness.

Later in the evening, when I shared the above photo with a few friends, I received immediate responses - ‘He’s the stuff of my nightmares.’ - ‘Wouldn’t let him within 100 feet of me’. A part of my heart drooped when I read these responses. I get the immediacy and directness because perhaps all they saw was a picture of a clown. And sadly, from my perspective of past clown experiences, I agreed for a moment, until now. 

This was a moment where I met the most iconic clown in history. I met a human who personifies joy. From head to toe, who became encapsulated into a space of historical rhetoric and childhood memorabilia. All the while staying true to the simplicity of a smile and grace of the space. All for the momentum to raise money to help families stay together during uncertain times.

I thank the Chief Happiness Officer of the McDonald’s Corporation for staying true to the symbolism of my youth while showing me that the definition and feeling of a clown isn’t one creepiness but that of happiness and authenticity.

A moment can change a perspective.

©️Alison Schuh Hawsey 2022