JOHN AND MABEL RINGLING
It’s a foregone conclusion that any circus museum is going to enlighten. Can’t get around it. It is such a uniquely American form of entertainment. It’s latest incarnation, Cirque de Soleil is fab.
Geographic illiteracy is conquered quickly, even without a GPS, by Yours truly. Decades in the film industry taught me to be unafraid of the unfamiliar. Comes in handy when venturing out to new cities and countries. Florida is no exception.
The Ringling Circus Museum sits on a campus owned by the Florida State University system. There is also the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art, the official state art museum of Florida, and Ca d’Zan, the residence and estate of the Ringlings. All are available to the public.
We started at the “far” end of the complex, which is the at the home, Ca d’Zan, of the Ringlings. This is where they “wintered” while the circus was not performing.
Ca d’Zan is an estate. It’s not San Simeon, but the mansion is just grand. It sits on the intercoastal waterway, which only adds to its splendor.
The walk from the ticket office to Ca d’Zan is through a garden which boasts about the largest banyan tree on the planet. Taking it in, I expected it to start walking towards us. It’s an imposing bit of arbor and for that alone am glad we made the reservation.
The museum didn’t get the memo. Masks required indoors.
Good God. It’s everywhere. Does no one read anything more than The New York Times or The Washington Post?
Have to conjecture since the museum is a state-run institution, they will be the last to give up the charades of;
- We live in unprecedented times.
- We’re all in this together.
- Stay Home. Save Lives.
- 15 Days to Hashtag Flatten the Curve
- Masks. They are about protecting others.
That last one is a joke. If those obsessed with covering their faces took a good look at how and what people put on their mugs, they’d realize the futility of masking.
You wanna enforce them?
Fine.
Masks do work, if they're medically-compliant (No one has those); sealed at the perimeter (No one does that); and not touched, adjusted, or removed unless replaced or sterilized (No one does that either). That Bazooka Joe Bandana, Rainbow Flag Dishcloth, or Faux Surgical Green will get you thrown out of any O.R., Silicon Valley clean room, and bio-lab. Also, no stupid health official has EVER invoked a mask mandate with a list of instructions on proper materials and proper usage. Necessary, if you want to even marginally help the permeable membrane restrict viral access.
Until that happens, the masks that have been used for over a year are worthless symbols of virtue signaling and Covid performance art theatrical costumes. That is all.
Worthless mask wearing aside, the tour of Ca d’Zan, the two buildings which house the Circus Museum, and the glass display are worth the time. Should fleeing New York and/or California become a reality and Sarasota is the destination, take in The John and Mabel Ringling Art and Circus Museum.
Let’s hope by the time you do, breathing through some stupid piece of cloth or paper is no longer a requirement.
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