In many circles, it's considered bad form to write about one's self when composing an article. A travel piece, maybe. A 70s-era "Fear & Loathing" piece by the oft - and poorly imitated Hunter Thompson, maybe. But an article on the 74th Annual Hadi Shrine Circus?

Ordinarily I'd stick to the facts, ma'am. But in this case, I must conjure up a memory from my childhood. It was 1978 or '79… Roberts Stadium. Leaping out of the '69 Impala to go see the sights, hear the sounds, and get one of those cool green glo-sticks that you swung around when the house lights went black.

I don't remember being as stoked about the animals or the aerialists or the acrobats. That November night, the special guest of the evening was none other than Peter Parker - Spider-Man - and he was the aerialist supreme.

Here's another thing: my uncle was an active Shriner. So we got the best seats in the house, and when the show was over I got to go through the tunnel and into the bowels of the stadium to meet Spider-Man.

On that night, the only thing better would have been if I were given a light saber, a piggyback ride from Darth Vader and Nolan Ryan's autograph.

Through the tunnel we went, and there, all (what seemed like) 20 feet of him, was Spider-Man himself. The catch? He didn't have his mask on. Or his boots. There was 20 feet of a half-human, half-spider, extending his hand to my wee little paw to shake. I went from ecstatic to peeing in my Underoos (Spider-Man, of course).

Some events in your life are scratched into your memory, others are burned into like data into a hard drive. My meeting with Spidey that night was like finding out that Santa's a fraud, the Eater bunny couldn't jump over a tin can and the tooth fairy's dental plan doesn't even cover X-rays.

So much for that.

The matter at hand here, other than the dreaded first person narrative I've selfishly delved into is the 74th Annual Hadi Shrine Circus. A Thanksgiving tradition in the area, the Circus provides plenty of thrills for kids and adults alike. Exotic animals, dogs with measurable IQ's, trapeze artists, motorcycle daredevils, sights and sounds galore - all are part of the ages-old traditions of the circus that harkens back to the days when the greatest show on earth would mosey into a little hamlet, set up a tent, showcase impossible feats and move along to the next town.

Those days are, for the most part, gone. But the Shriners here in Evansville get the cream of the crop of performers, so the people you see way up there without a net to catch them are the best at what they do.

Oh yeah! And Spider-Man will be there! From the mind of Stan Lee, Marvel Comics, and most recently, the films starring Tobey Maguire and directed by the great Sam Raimi, Spidey's been a huge part of American pop culture since the early 1960s. That was a while ago, and some may think that those 40-plus decades may have slowed him down, but they'd be wrong! Spider-Man's as springy as ever, and with this year's Shrine Circus you too will have the chance to see him in person, just like I did almost 30 years ago…

And hopefully your experience with the Webbed One will be a little less emotionally scarring. See you there, ladies and gentlemen and kids of all ages!

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74th Annual Hadi Shrine Circus

November 22nd - 25th

Roberts Stadium

3 Rings of non-stop, heart-stopping thrills!

Thursday, 11/22 performances at 2bp.m. & 7 p.m.

Friday, 11/23 performances at 9:30 a.m., 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.

Saturday, 11/24 performances at 9:30 a.m., 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.

Sunday, 11/25 Final matinee performance at 3 p.m.

Ticket outlets open November 1st, but order online now at www.hadishrinecircus.com Charge by phone at 425-4376 or outside of Evansville at 1-800-66-CLOWN Credit cards accepted: MasterCard - VISA - Discover - American Express