people

I thought that clowns were born that way, with the funny hair and make-up. It was just like any other birth defect a child can imagine. I assumed that they worked in the circus because that was the only place they could get work. For a long time I didn't want children, just in case they were born clowns. To this day I find clowns kind of creepy.

Gail

I used to believe that clowns and teachers weren't really people. I didn't think they had homes. I didn't think they ate dinner. I didn't think they went to the bathroom.

Barb

I used to believe that clowns were not people dressed up in costumes but were a separate race or species that always looked like that and married other clowns and had baby clowns and whole clown families.

judwein

As a kid, I used to think clowns were a race of people. Growing up in Texas, we went to rodeos every summer. That is the only place I saw lots of clowns. I couldn't figure them out and I was always thankful I wasn't born a clown.

Alan

When my mother was a child, she believed that being a clown was a birth defect rather just makeup. She thought that if you were born with a face like that, you had to join the circus to entertain people. There were no other options.

E. Lee

When i was very young i was a little scared of clowns (exposure to Stephen King's 'It' at a young age probably didn't help!) Anyway, one time my dad took me to McDonalds and unbeknown there was a guy entertaining kids dressed as Ronald McDonald. I was happily munching my food when i saw this scary-ass clown running towards me and he loomed down on me to pick me up. Convinced i was about to meet my maker i started to scream and cry and french fries went everywhere. there are photos(!!) of this incident ...I hate clowns.

Sarah, England

I used to believe that clowns didn't have voices and couldn't talk. I also didn't realize that they weren't born clowns. I wanted so badly to have a clown as a pet. He could live in the garage and we would communicate through sign language.

CRG

Before I realized that clowns were just normal people in funny costumes and makeup, I thought that clowns were born that way. When I heard that someone had a baby, I would wonder if it was a clown baby. Finally, one day I asked my mother why no one we knew had a clown baby. I don't remember what she answered, but to her eternal credit, she did it with a straight face!

Annie

When I was a child I used to believe that clowns were born clowns with a red nose , big feet , multicolored hair...

Sathia

I used to think that if someone looked familiar to me then I must also look familiar to them.

Preston