Day ii - Sunday with Greeks

Last night I attended a graduate recital performed by a friend of mine, a piece titled Orpheus and Euridice for piano, clarinet, and soprano. It was just gorgeous, and the following part stood out to me (closet romantic that I am):
Part 6: Song

He wrote a song for her.

I am part of something now.
I was tall among the grasses
Where the rushing water passes
Through the land that I have known,
But I always felt alone.

I could scale the highest stone
Which erupts in giant masses.
Where the largest deep sea bass is
You will find the lines I've thrown.
There were stars that just for me
Shone,
Here, where I have grown.
But I always felt alone.

With you,
My heart begins to know
The way in which
The world I see
Is me,
And I am it, somehow...
I am part of something now.
I am part of something now.

* * * * *

I want something that makes me feel this way.

* * * * *

Last night I dreamed that the roots of my hair were turning blue.

This morning I worked out, drank a bottle of water and had my vitamins, ATE BREAKFAST AT MY TABLE (rather than in my car or at my desk), and made it to work on time (two minutes early). Aw, yeah.

Day i - Goals Post

In which we shall see: ...nothing at all to do with football (sorry, sports fans).

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I know I haven't posted in a while, and to make up for it you will have a GLUT of entries to sort through in the next month... because I'm doing a "30-Days Post"! The idea is to get something up every day for a month - I'll try for journaling, pictures, links, jokes, quippage, etc. Stay tuned. As a prep, I'm posting today about several goals and changes that are scheduled to happen IMMEDIATELY. Now, according to John Tesh (that Evening Radio Guru of Wisdom and Knowledge), changes are more effective when they happen all at once, en masse, rather than gradually. For example, your efforts are more likely to stick when you quit smoking, change your diet, and begin an exercise program all at the same time instead of trying to add a new lifestyle shift every couple of weeks. I'm not entirely sure of the psychology behind this summation, but my current methods aren't working so I'm willing to give it a try (plus, JOHN TESH. The ERGWK. Also, the smoking thing isn't going to be a problem). And so, the GOALS:

BE ON TIME (TO EVERYTHING). I recently found out that in the family I have the reputation of always being late. Which... is almost true. I'm never late to rehearsals, and close enough to never to count for concerts and shows and the like - but I am pretty much consistently late to things like church, work, and family gatherings (insert own analysis here). I don't like this aspect of myself, and so it will now stop. I WILL be on time, with the target being 10 minutes early. Today I was on time to EVERYTHING (church, recital, choir practice) - although almost immediately after I managed to find a seat in the chapel 3 minutes before the Sacrament Meeting started I was asked to fill in for the chorister, and also ended up helping out the Primary Program on the fly. So, potential downsides to punctuality... ;-)

COMMUNICATE ABOUT IMPORTANT THINGS (SCHEDULING, ISSUES, ANYTHING INVOLVING MY FAMILY) BY PHONE, NOT EMAIL. In my family, we have some difficulties with communication, and I've come to realize that many of those problems could potentially be solved if we just TALKED to each other, and aided communication with tone-of-voice and things like that. In a sad case of "Telephone" I recently heard that one sister-in-law talked to another sister-in-law, who then proceded to ask my brother's fiance if I had been bad-mouthing initial sister-in-law to fiance in order to give fiance a poor impression of said sister-in-law (not because she'd heard I'd said something, just because she thought I would). URRGHP?!? There are at least two extraneous people involved in this conversation that I can see, and a direct line could have avoided all kinds of hurt feelings (on my part) and misunderstandings (on hers). Additionally, I have never figured out a way to find out exactly why this particular sister-in-law has such a miserable opinion of me - and it may very well come down to a PHONE CALL and a DIRECT QUESTION. Strange concept, I know.

EXERCISE. EVERY DAY. ROUTINE TO INCLUDE CARDIO, STRETCHING, PILATES, OR ANY COMBINATION THEREOF, AS WELL AS WATER AND VITAMINS. Sigh. Just gotta be done. I was determined to lose weight before the upcoming wedding, and at this point it looks like the only weight I'll drop will be when I get my hair trimmed. IT IS TIME.

STOP GIVING ADVICE, SUGGESTIONS, "GENTLE NUDGES", ETC. I can occasionally be a know-it-all busybody (or at least I play one on TV) and while my intentions are always for the best they can sometimes be misread (see above goal re: COMMUNICATION). There will be no more parenting or relationship advice (see the irony?); no more fashion, decorating, or gift suggestions, and no life-coaching. It's time to use my powers for actual good by turning them on myself, since for the most part people treat advice with a "getting what they paid for" attitude. Free is free, people, but no more pearls will be tossed to mingle with the asphalt in local construction zones. I will now operate on the assumption that I am surrounded by capable adults who are actually (if subconsciously) cognizant of the solutions to their dilemmas, and don't need me pointing them out. Maybe I can spend the time I save on internal pursuits, and get MY life in order. (I... think there might be a LITTLE flexibility built into this particular goal, but in general, if you ask for my help - over the phone, natch - please expect that my answer will be "I think you should pray about it. So, how's the [insert hobby/class/family project here] coming?")

GET MORE SLEEP. In bed by 10:30, so as to get up by 6:30 to do the daily workout. This means the post is just about done, as I now have approximately 4 minutes (ignore the time stamp below, it's a bit wonky).

I'll report back, and look for something new (and different!) tomorrow and for the next month! Please feel free to comment lots!

Watch out for falling turtles (and [insert relevant accomplished goal here]),

Cyd



P.S. I have, in fact, flossed my teeth nearly every day this year. It's now habit. Obviously, I can achieve anything I set my mind to.

It's Official...

... for the very first time, I've been asked to the Prom.

(Edits made to protect the innocent, and because I was having a good time with photo editor.)

I figure in seven months he'll have forgotten all about this, but in the meantime he went to a lot of effort and did what I asked (see previous post) - complete with creative illustrations. Who says kids aren't learning anything in high school?

Warm Fuzzy Fiesta

In which we shall see: Warmth and fuzziness. Duh. (Plus a dance invitation.)

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Today I skipped out on work and headed over to my favorite local "other" high school to help judge auditions for the upcoming High School Shakespeare competition (at which my f.l."o".h.s. always ROCKS). First, I love these kids. They are dedicated to their program and making themselves better performers, and they give it their all. Second, I love Shakespeare, and I especially love getting to come and dig into these little snapshots from the plays and helping the students make them live. I'm so excited every year for these couple of weeks to coach and get fangirly all over again for my pal Will S.!

One of my dear friends is the teacher at this school, and she is FANTASTIC. At the recent Drama Club Leadership Retreat she instituted a "warm fuzzy" activity, for which people would write down something nice about someone to be read out loud each day. I was pleased to arrive at the school and find that this activity had carried over into the school year, with people writing warm fuzzies on slips of paper and dropping them into an actually fuzzy box (decorated with fake fur, not mold). They were read at the beginning of the class period, and I was even more delighted to hear two w.f.'s dedicated to me - one of which asked me to Prom. (I told him he'd have to get a permission slip signed by his mom before I'd say yes. Chances are good he'll get it. I'll post pictures.)

Anyway, in the spirit of the day I decided to do my very first Warm Fuzzy Post - where I list things I love about wonderful people I know, just for fun. If you're not included on the list today, don't worry - your time will come. (I've been pondering various topics for more "serious" posts, including: 'Tips for Triumph', Giving Advice and Driving Badly in Disguise; Timing Issues; The Tao of Hotness; More Movie Reviews; The Cosmic Sheep Theory; and A Refutation of the Claim that the 'Twilight' Books are Soft-Core Porn [snappy title pending]. If any of these sound interesting to you, let me know and I'll get on it sooner.) On to the Warmth - and the Fuzz!

In no particular order:

Tara - I'm so happy we've met, and that I'll get to know you better. I love your enthusiasm for your work, and for my craziness!

Greg - Your happy-go-lucky zaniness always makes me happy. I can't think of many people as willing as you to be yourself and enjoy it. Plus, you're so good at making new friends to take along for the ride. ("Because I'M IN'TRESTED!")

Phaidra - You are such an inspiration to me. Your boundless affection, common sense and absolutely amazing scope of vision fill me with awe. You make everyone around you feel so important... Whatever I did to deserve your friendship, I hope I keep it up!

Mom - How do you fit so much passion and heart into one little person? Your desire and drive to make the lives of others better is incredible.

Matt - You make me laugh hard. You make me think harder. I owe you for both (and you're still up by 20 or so). You make me feel so good about myself - you are rare, and beautiful.

Kari - I really do miss you. I love talking with you about whatever, since I know you honestly do care. I'm so motivated by your creativity, and so thankful for your support. Your dry humor KILLS me.

Michelle - You are a breath of fresh air, a bundle of sunshine and laughter and all those other shining cliches that still can't help but make everyone around you happy. Your artistic talents are immense - your talents for friendship even bigger.

The Jackie - Dude. I'm so glad you're here to make the world a better place. No gathering is complete without you, and any time spent with you is QUALITY.

Bart - You're a total rock star, you know that? I (ahem) done good. You have such a generous heart - your smile, your easy acceptance of others, your willingness to do whatever needs to be done are all contagious. Let's hope there's never a cure.

Ben - It's so much fun to see you growing and discovering - you make me want to find those qualities in myself again. Thanks for only running away now when I'm trying to scare you (for fun), and for always coming back to play more!

That's it for today - feel free to send in requests, and look for your name in future Warm Fuzzy Fiestas!

Watch out for toasty, squishy, fluffy falling turtles,

Cyd

Words to Live By

Life is not about finding yourself.
Life is about creating yourself.

- George Bernard Shaw

R and J Chronicles: Part II

In which we shall see: a rehearsal report, respected ruminations referenced by a revered reader, rollicking redactions for revelry and reflection, and a forthcoming moratorium on the letter "R".

* * * * *

I headed to the first "full-cast" rehearsal this week (quotations because we still don't quite have enough actors - O, the perils of professional-grade community theatre!) and had the chance to distribute my dramaturgy packet to the group. (As rumored, I did in fact stay up working on it until 3:00 that morning. I may procrastinate, but I do come through!) I've already got a new list of terms and topics to research, which is cool. Still no progress on the "liking the story" front, but I am VERY impressed with the actors we've found so far, their enthusiasm for the project and their grasp of the language. The read-through was marvelous. I can't wait to see what they'll actually be doing on stage as they deliver these lines!

An online friend (who'll I'll be meeting in RL tonight - woot!) very kindly linked me to some lovely ruminations on love from another friend's blog. In an interesting coincidence, this friend had been recently watching West Side Story, the big Leonard Bernstein musical based on Romeo and Juliet. ("Ah, Fate.") This author discusses several examples of "love-at-first-sight-or-darned-close-to-it" from movies, books, and Real Life. She then asks:

Do we sometimes not LET ourselves fall in love? Do we slow down a process that is actually quite simple and straightforward and FAST with all of our fears and reservations? If Maria and Tony had been more practical about loving each other, they never would have gotten around to it. They didn't have enough time [West Side Story]. If Dan hadn't decided right away that he LOVED Marie and wanted to commit to her, there's no way he would have dragged his children along to a different state to chase after her. And it would have been over[Dan in Real Life]. If my Grandpa hadn't had the guts to pop the question and Grandma hadn't had the guts to say YES, who knows... [First date. Really.]

These people (fictional and otherwise) I'm sure experienced all that is hard and painful and disappointing about love--even after they were IN love. But at least they were brave enough to go for it.

In a follow-up post the author continues:

...Maybe love isn't as much the mystery and struggle I've found myself thinking it is. Maybe love is really this simple, this easy, this everyday. And maybe it really can happen in an instant, in an afternoon of hot chocolate and honest conversation, maybe in one kiss...

A quote that a friend sent me this week:
"The opportunity of a lifetime has to be taken in the lifetime of the opportunity." E. Oaks

So the moral of the story? Of course there are still a ga-zillion reasons to take your time with relationships, to really get to know a person and build trust, etc. Of course! But maybe there's something to be said for just letting love happen; for not complicating an apparently uncomplicated process; for seizing opportunities to love today, right now, this very minute.

(The full posts with complete stories - and they're good ones! - can be found here and here.)

Much food for thought, eh? Which reminds me - our "assignment" for the R and J rehearsal was to come with a song that reminds us of a character or theme or some other aspect of the play. The range was fascinating: from "The First Time (Ever I Saw Your Face)" to the Beatles to classical and Gregorian chants to Coldplay and Daughtry to a whole CD of songs from groups I'd never even heard of (the only name I recognized was "Nine Inch Nails". Yeah). We figure we'll end up with a whole series of mix CDs of completely random Romeo and Juliet music. Count Orsino would be so proud. (And, possibly, suffering from indigestion.)


Watch out for falling turtles (particularly if they're dressed like Cupid),


Cyd



P.S. Cookies to anyone that gets the Orsino reference!

On Behalf of Smart Women Everywhere...

I went to the grocery store today, and while checking out I was addressed by a somewhat odd individual who had also been "checking out". He commented enthusiastically on my shirt, asking if I was an English teacher, nodding about how true it was and why couldn't more people see it, and finally going in for a high-five.

On the way to my car as I chuckled a little about the varieties of human personality, it finally occurred to me that it was fairly disconcerting to realize a guy had actually been staring at my chest. Maybe it hasn't happened enough for me to get used to it, maybe this was the first time ever - or maybe the shirt is even cooler than I had originally thought.

Who knows?