I found, but did not realize that I had an extreme amount of liberties. One of those was my bus pass. For 10¢ I could travel anywhere in San Francisco, and I used it freely. I went to see the sisters across the park. I was an independent cuss and found it difficult to sit idle.
One of these days I received a coupon to see the Ringling Brothers circus in the civic auditorium in downtown San Francisco. I asked my mom for the 50¢ entry fee and she gladly complied. Off I was with the masses. No fear ever crossed my mind. Because of my independence I had experiences no child could ever have. My parents counted on me to be responsible.
I don't know if it was my confidence or my unassuming attitude, but I never felt threatened. I had a wonderful day watching the magnificent circus, even if it was in the nosebleed section.
The circus was over when most of the people were leaving their jobs for another day. The mass of humanity was certainly not a threat to this nine-year-old. After having my own children, it is difficult to fathom the unusual trust they had in me.
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