The Life and Times of the Cirquador Kid!

Santa Monica, CA - When living the life whimsical, you can get into some interesting situations.  You can also come across some very interesting employment opportunities.  Case in point: I am now working for the Cirque du Soleil in Santa Monica, California.  In typical fashion, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.  A chance encounter with a fellow van dweller in the deserts of Arizona garnered a friendship.  Through that friendship, I learned that the Cirque du Soleil was hiring people through a temp agency in Los Angeles.  The rest is history, I suppose.  Or at least history in progress at this point.

My first impression of working for the Cirque?  Amazing.  I am an usher for the show and thus get the opportunity to see the show nearly every day.  I'm assuming that at some point I will tire of the show through repetition, though I have a strong feeling that will not be anytime soon.  Small acrobats flying through the air, lithe forms with fluid movements gliding and sailing across the stage.  The shear strength and agility of these performers is on the verge of superhuman.  For me, they conjure the images of superheroes, though that may be in part to the fact that they wear tights.  I can only imagine the training and discipline they have had to endure throughout their years.  Hell, I struggle just to do a handstand.  For the majority of the show my mouth is gaped open in awe.  And for the other part, I'm somewhere between giggling and guffawing.  It is truly an entertaining spectacle.

I must give props to both Cirque du Soleil and Adecco, the worldwide temporary staffing company, for their treatment of employees.  From conversations with people employed directly through Cirque,which is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, I get the feeling that it is an amazing company to work for.  Their employees work hard and the company treats them with respect and rewards them with great benefits.  They are well taken care of to be certain.  As for Adecco, I can only speak to the people that hired me and those that manage us on a daily basis.  The one thing that can be said - they are happy to be there.  Honestly, that says a lot.  That happiness with their jobs translates to them treating all of us especially well.  Thus, it provides a great work environment to be a part of.

I do feel so lucky to have added this to my repertoire of experiences.  After all, isn't that what life is really all about?  Stories you can tell and experiences you can share.  Well, my shift starts in less than an hour...so it's off to the circus for me!