DAVID

PROFESSIONAL CLOWN

“Laughter lets you know that things are ok, even if they are not in the moment.”

My journey to becoming a professional clown started when I was four years old in Mexico. A clown came to my class, and I was terrified. But my four-year-old logic was that if I’m one of them, they can’t get me. So, my mom said to be the best clown I could be and got me a wig and makeup.

Clowning taught me to live in the moment at a very young age. The biggest thing about clowning is that clowns feel everything very deeply. If they feel happy, they are ecstatic. If they are sad, they are devastated. And I had to learn to live that as a very young person because I knew you can’t convey that without really knowing what it is internally.

I moved to the US from Mexico when I was six, so one hard thing for me is not being Mexican enough for my family, but not American enough for my friends. It’s a tough middle ground to tread with expectations. It’s also lovely, though, being able to connect with so many people. And I think clowning is a very special art form that allows people from all over the world to connect.

People need a lot of things – housing, food, clothing – all of those are very obvious, important needs. But laughter lets you know that things are ok, even if they are not in the moment. Laughter always brings a sense of levity to everything. Dr. Patch Adams had the philosophy that laughter is medicine, and I think he was right. He used clowning in hospitals to bring joy to a dark time for people.

Having a place like Siloam that takes care of folks like me is a very special thing. I’ve always felt welcome at Siloam, and I think that’s the biggest, most important kind of love.