My Season

Today sort of starts "my season". What season is that you ask? College football ended last week. The NFL and college basketball have been going on since last fall. No one cares about the NBA. Major league baseball, tennis and even NASCAR are imminent, but haven't started yet.

Awards season. I LOVE the award shows! I will camp out in front of the television at the start of the red carpet arrival shows, even though no one has arrived yet, and watch until the credits roll after the last award is handed out.

In general, I love the arts. Theatre, movies, music, you name it. I love to watch, I love to participate and I love to create. And I get a real kick out of celebrity watching. I think it is, on some level, because they get to earn a living doing what they love and what I wish I could do. I have no desire to be photographed from every angle or my every breath recorded in a magazine. I do not in the least envy their lifestyle, but I do their livelihood. When I'm in a theatre production it is such a rush to go on stage. In my first real role I entered the stage as the curtain opened. Alone on stage. I think the director was very nervous that this novice was going to freeze up and checked with me several times to make sure I was "OK". Never better. I grabbed my tray (I was cast as Della the maid in "Royal Family") and walked out when the phone started ringing and hit my cue. I've loved it ever since.

I have no grand illusions that I'm good at it. But, I don't think I'm too terrible and community theatre is supposed to be about having fun. I've always enjoyed performing. We (my sister, or friends or other relatives and I) would put on shows when I was growing up. One side of my family went caroling on Christmas Eve in my grandparents' neighborhood. Even marching in the band in high school was a kick. I didn't mind the practicing, still don't mind rehearsals, and hearing the crowd cheer or the audience applaud just fills me with pride.

And I have learned that I have not been alone in these pursuits. I have an aunt that acted in theatre productions in college and I have a cousin that sings country music in Nashville. There may be others, I'm just not aware of them yet.

So, today begins my season. As with any other major event (Super Bowl, Daytona 500, World Series, any tennis grand slam event), unless someone is bleeding or dying, its best not to call me after 3 today. I will not be checking emails or text messages. I will not be in.