Letting Go

I was recently reminded of the metaphor of the trapeze artist, one of the most daring performers in the circus. As with many things in life, it comes down to timing, faith, and willingness. The trapeze artist cannot possibly reach the next bar until she or he lets go of the bar that they are currently holding. It is not unlike juggling. You can’t keep seven, five or even three balls in the air while holding onto two of them.

So, how do these metaphors apply to me? I recently decided to resuscitate a business that I put on the shelf about fifteen years ago. Having left my last full-time job more than nine months ago, it was time to do something new. To raise money to get the business on it’s feet again, I decided I could do some busking/street performing in our town or in a larger, nearby city. I tried searching online for locations where busking is safe. accepted, and where there’s enough foot traffic to have a chance to make some money. Unfortunately, all of information about busking is either several years old or it is programs that organizations have implemented in order to keep street performers off the street, unless there’s a festival and they need street performers to draw a crowd.

While I have read that busking does not require a license in the area where I live, many cities, including my own, require you to complete an application and wait two to four weeks for a decision on whether they will grant you a permit to busk. This seems to be because, to most people, buskers fall into the same category as beggars, thieves, and three-card-monte specialists.

While hitting my head against the brick wall of red tape, I thought about the safety and timing of the situation. Wind, rain and snow make it difficult to perform magic tricks or twist balloons. Like it or not, there are people who like to rob street performers. And how much cash do most people carry these days? And, in these difficult times, how willing are they to part with any of it?

Back to the trapeze metaphor. Between the beauracratic issues and the possible problems, I decided to let go of the busking idea. A few hours after making that decision, I found a message in my phone. It was regarding a job I had applied for months ago and had forgotten about. I called them back and they offered me a part-time job. You can call it God, the Universe, a Higher Power, or whatever works for you. All I know is when I let go of my agenda, good things tend ot happen.