Interesting. I can clearly remember being a small child and reading an article in Life magazine (I'm almost sure, however...) about Chin and Chang, I believe their names were. I remember looking (staring, oogling) at those photographs for the longest time. My imagination was transfixed considering the possibility of having been so-connected to another human being. The realization, as far as my child's mind could realize, of that possibility as reported in Life both repelled and highly interested me.

In looking back over my fascination--though certainly the fascination of a pretty innocent child--I must admit a consequent feeling of guilt. I think it must have been my first experience of schadenfreude--and one that I have certainly overcome because I don't allow myself to experience that kind of fascination over physical troubles of others anymore--and haven't, really, for a long time.

Yes, it is exhilarating to read about the human soul and how it overcomes physical frailties most people would have great difficulty (or even impossibly) overcoming! But that submerging of the imagination to grasp what such frailities are--and somehow enjoying (in a sick way, I think) the plunge? Oooh! I am glad to be beyond that--and I am especially glad that freak shows, to my knowledge, are no longer around. They share the same sick turn of the imagination as do the Romans feeding Christians to the lions and bear baiting.

...off the little soap box of True Confessions...