Oh dear……it will not happen again. As God is my witness! Someone tried to start a flame war with me in my journal comments. *sigh* I just don’t get it. Life is too short for such things. If I read a journal that offends me, I leave politely. I certainly don’t snark the writer.
Yes, I was accused of being greedy for fame…..I guess here on WordPress, the fame capital of the world. There are some truly famous people with online journals, but I am not one of them. And that has never been my intention. If it hasn’t happened by now, folks, it isn’t going to happen. LOL! I write here because I enjoy it. I enjoy connecting with people and writing down my thoughts, strange experiences, and opinions. Some of my ideas are strong and others are as weak as bad tea. I don’t really care.
So, back to the greed thing. I will admit that I am greedy. But only about certain things. The number one greedy thing on my list is……
UNUSUAL SHOES!
I love them! Must have them! I am greedy for them!
Especially shoes that are totally cute – like these. Woodstock shoes made by Greedy Genius!
I want these shoes! Yes, I know they are men’s shoes and they probably don’t come in a small enough size. Yes, I know they were a limited edition and are no longer available. But I don’t care! My greed is paralyzing my brain! Greedy greedy greedy!
I am so fucking sick of people ranting on and on that the liberals and the visionaries of this world are creating all the problems. Peace-loving people do not create wars that foster insane actions. Period. Fucking. End.
I am tired of being told that my lack of aggression will be the root cause of my country’s downfall. How much more proof do we need before we understand that our presence in Iraq is completely and utterly unjust? This war is creating havoc in innumerable ways. It is a ludicrous engagement and it needs to stop.
When I was coming of age in the 1970’s, we had a dream that we could change things. We used to chant “The people….united…will never be defeated!” I truly believe if we choose to live by our higher standards of compassion and understanding, the hostility of this world will diminish. If everyone did just one little thing to make the world happier and saner, change would come.
I am not surprised at the reaction of the world to the re-emergence of the Muslim faith. What most people see are the radical fanatics who preach hatred and destruction. They never see the average work-a-day Muslim who is trying to build a good life for his family in a peaceful world.
So many are choosing to live in fear. Might I remind you that the Jews have been viewed with fear and loathing for centuries. And so was Christianity until it became a firestorm of greed…..and became rich and powerful by destroying everything in its way (see Spanish Inquisition 101). And so were (and still are) people of color. Finger pointing is not the answer, for when you curl your fingers to point one at someone else, look at your hand. Three fingers are pointing back at yourself.
I spend a good part of my day surrounded by people who disagree with my political and spiritual views. Rather than let that stand in the way and cause discontent or distrust, I view it as a way to learn to love. We can choose to be smug and falsely pious, or we can learn to respect our differences.
This was the poster I had on my wall for years. As the flower above symbolizes my feelings today, so does this poster symbolize the way I have always lived my life. The poster is long gone after many moves, but the spirit of the words remains strong and undeniable.
I have a chance to teach in an elementary school today. This is my blessing. I have a chance to make a small difference. It’s my chance to be a kind and loving adult in a child’s world filled with distrust of strangers. I know this is important work. It’s time to get about the business of it all.
EEEP! I had a sudden opportunity to see some new theatre last night at the Old Globe. All Balboa Park directors were given two free tickets to see the new musical, Sammy. Whenever possible, I take advantage of these opportunities. I quickly called Roomie to see if she wanted to go. I got a yes from her so I replied to the email and secured the tickets. We were in business. Until I stepped up to the ticket window to find there wasn’t a reservation. No problem. It was all fixed in about 10 minutes or so.
We were seated three rows from the stage. I usually like to sit back a bit, but the seats were fine. Considering they were free, they were very very fine. There is no way I would have paid $80 apiece for them. No way in hell.
This show is a world premiere, and that excited me. The life and times of Sammy Davis, Jr. I was curious and thrilled to learn more about the man who was a legend in his own time. I was also excited to see how it was staged and to hear the music.
Here’s a promo clip.
Now, what we saw last night didn’t look much like the clip. It was close, but the clip was designed for marketing. The first act was peppy and the music was exciting. I only got sleepy a few times. Act two, however, was a different story. The pacing was poor and the songs were almost all ballads – all featuring Sammy standing center stage in dumped spotlights. Songs about self-destruction and being a broken man. Over…and over…and over again. There were only 3 songs in the entire show that came from his repertoire. Everything else was new. A lot of the ballads sounded the same. EEEP!
I had a hard time with the second act. I took several power naps. Every time I woke up, the same stuff was happening on stage. Sammy was standing alone singing something sad. He changed his costume a lot, but it was the same stuff. The best scene was “Candy Man” when everyone danced around and pretended to snort cocaine. Other than that, it was a yawn-fest for me. Having a bare-bones set also made us focus on the music, and since focusing on the music was the challenge, that set might not have been a good idea.
I wish I could just go to the theatre and be swept away with a story or special effects or music. Unfortunately, I’ve been a director too long to be able to do that. Just as a podiatrist must always glance at toenails and a dentist looks at smiles, I must always be aware of song keys, pacing, lighting, blocking, etc. There are a few shows that have been so well done that I can sweep into the experience and just have fun – The Lion King is the best so far.
And so it was – another night at the theatre. In spite of falling asleep, I still enjoyed the experience. I learned a lot about what NOT to do when you have just one character on stage. I am going to remember this when I start working on my next script. Theatre is all about keeping the audience engaged. The finest music in the world means nothing if it can’t be portrayed with an ounce of magic.
I am going to be Principal for a Day tomorrow at the La Jolla Elementary School. It’s going to be exciting! Last year, I followed the principal around but I didn’t really do much. This year, I am teaching a 5th grade history class, supervising the morning recess, and doing Career Day with the 4th grade. That sounds like a hoot!
