A teenager screamed and ran from my classroom. She was terrified. It was Halloween and I was dressed in what I’d always known as a laugh-inducing costume. I was stunned. I love laughter. The kind that starts low in the belly and rolls out, inspiring tears. Happy tears. Clown’n round is good fun. Making balloon animals. Honks. Stuffing bodies inside a tiny car. When did clowns become horror stars? Nothing is sacred, nor immune from vicious ridicule. Including well-meaning people. The ones trying hard to illicit a smile, the smallest semblance of joy – the kind that starts low in the soul and rolls out, inspiring happiness. Bring in the Clowns.