Fewer clowns. More jugglers.

Sure, clowns can make you laugh.

But they are also scary and so much so that there's a word for people who have a fear of clowns: Coulrophobia.

There's also a word for fear of jugglers. Tachydaktylourgosophobiaophobia. One reason why you've never heard of it is that the number of people who are afraid of clowns outweighs the number of people afraid of jugglers by about fifteen million to one.

Stephen King did not write a book about a juggler who lived in a sewer. There was never a movie called "Attack of the killer jugglers."

Beyond the fear factor,  the reason we need more jugglers is because they are much more productive. Throw them three balls and they'll go for hours. Throw in a few more, they'll keep going. Five balls, six balls. Some juggle plates, others juggle chainsaws. Doesn't matter the shape. If you can throw it in the air and catch it, they'll do it.

I once saw a group of street kids in Rio de Janeiro, poor as poor can be, shoeless and shirtless, juggling fire sticks in front of a red light in the hopes they'd get some small change as a reward.

When have you ever heard of a hard-working clown?

Clowns get into cars with fifteen of their friends. And then the  get out of the same car. That's not working.

Jugglers get stuff done. They don't even need stuff to juggle. If you have three of something, they'll borrow it and make it up as they go along.

I'd rather be a juggler than clown because unlike a clown, I don't have to hide behind makeup. I can just be myself.