When Clowns Cry

When Clowns Cry

One of the most difficult things in life can be reconciling who we want to be, who we might even see ourselves as, with who we really are. What nobler question is there for us to ask ourselves than, “Who am I?”

Night Shift, directed by Ron Howard and starring Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton, in his first starring role, was released in 1982 and it’s been one of my favorite movies ever since. Michael Keaton plays Billy “Blaze” Blazejowski, a free-spirited entrepreneur full of ideas that he maniacally saves to his tape recorder and follows with cocksure confidence. One of his ideas, turning the city morgue, where he and Chuck (Winkler) work the night shift, into a brothel where they can serve as “love brokers,” as Billy calls it, for a group of abandoned prostitutes, serves as the backdrop for the movie and all of the hilarity that ensues. Billy experiences a rather high level of success with his new venture, albeit briefly. Despite his best efforts throughout the film to be the hero and save the day, his role turns out to be one of comedic relief; he’s the clown of the movie, not the hero.

I have always tended to identify with the heroes in the movies I watched growing up: with Rocky Balboa in all of the Rocky films, constantly overcoming all the odds no matter how high; with Conan in the Schwarzenegger films when he stated, “I will have my own kingdom!” I have always envisioned my role in life as that of a leader, a hero, inspiring others to their own greatness and heroism. Interestingly, my cocksureness more closely resembles that of Billy Blaze and so do my results.

I too maniacally write down my ideas; I’ve never allowed fear to prevent me from following my dreams. On the plus side, I changed careers to attend chiropractic school where I graduated in the top 5% of my class. After a rocky start, I built a 6-figure, waiting-list chiropractic practice with a 3-day workweek. I invented and patented the knee-chest row bench after lower back injuries prevented me from doing barbell rows unsupported. I wrote and published 5 books, crafted 2 TED-style talks and simultaneously built a website (www.AlwaysBelieveInYourDreams.com) and social media presence to promote them. On the negative side, I went through multiple bankruptcies, the last of which after my waiting-list practice evaporated, and multiple health challenges like my burst appendix in 2001 and cancer in 2021. I lost my patent due to the most recent financial calamity and only ever sold 2 benches. And finally, after 10 years of blood, sweat and tears, my book sales are minimal and my talks have been non-existent.

None of this is to diminish in any way my contributions to the lives of others. I cared for and helped thousands of patients during my 20-year chiropractic career. The knee-chest row bench remains to this day the best way I know of for performing supported rows and it is the only reason I have been able to perform rows consistently, productively and injury-free for the past 18 years. Those who have read my books tell me almost unanimously how their lives have been positively impacted and improved because of them.

Mark Victor Hansen talks about following your “inner knower,” the “wee small voice within,” as B.J. Palmer called it. As it turns out, my “inner knower,” the one that just knew each and every one of the ideas I followed with such reckless abandon, each dream I believed in with all my heart and soul, was “it”: my life’s purpose and my family’s ticket to abundance, prosperity and security; my “wee small voice within” is a lunatic and, at best, a great comedic script writer!

I don’t know any other way to be than how I have always been. I too am an “idea man” just like Billy Blaze; and I will continue to document my ideas, much like Peter Daniels, B.J. Palmer and other highly successful people have been driven to do in years gone by. It takes all kinds of people, playing all sorts of roles, to create the magnificent tapestry of life, as we know it. None of those roles is any more or less important than the others. Recognizing my role, thus far, as being more that of the clown than the hero does not in any way diminish its importance, even if it’s not the role I wished it to be. Who knew I could be so funny?!?

jon m ketcham

#jonmketcham