Not the normal image of a clown hiding behind the mask of anonymity etc. etc. etc.

As I watched this vagabond move through the crowd, he seemed unsure of his role in life...not really connecting with anyone...just wandering. Other than the bright red nose, he did not have the normal trappings of his trade...the over sized shoes, the baggy pants, suspenders, white greasepaint, Harpo Marx bicycle horn. Just the bright red nose.

He turned to cross the street and we passed each other, making eye...shutter contact along the way. Once the picture was taken, he meekly smiled, nodded his head in an affirming gesture and disappeared into the masses. For a while I could see his hat over the tops of the crowd until he stepped behind the ring toss booth.

Not sure he was a clown. Sometimes in my paranoia, I even wonder if others saw him. It seemed as though his path through the crowd, then directly past me with a nod of acknowledgment and out of sight was meant just for me. I will be looking for him next year, same place...I want to talk to him.