Working Outside Your Comfort Zone
Most things I have done in theatre have been outside my comfort zone. The funny thing is that once you've done it, your comfort zone expands to encompass what used to intimidate you. Happily, usually, it translates to the mundane, things like my day job. It also got me up on roller-skates, and strangely I don't regret it a bit. Making me think it really is better to experience life's ups and downs doing what you want and working for what is meaningful.
I didn't mind missing nine days of work, working short days this week, and likely next week. I did mind missing an audition with Theater Schmeater for their late night show. The night I broke the leg, I gave Paula my password so she could log into my E-mail account and let Rob know I was stuck in the hospital, and wouldn't make the audition. I appreciate that as nearly as much as the grocery shopping she and Steve did for me. Now I'm waiting at least four more weeks before I can start auditioning. Major suckage. As my endurance continues to increase, maybe I'll get in some writing in the mean time.
My tickets for the opera were this Wednesday, and my Dad's tickets for the Seattle Rep were Thursday. I use his tickets when my folks are out of town. I rescheduled the tickets for the rep, didn't think I was up to two nights in a row. Damn good thing I did. There was no way I was going to reschedule or turn in my tickets for the opera.
My eleven year old niece Ericka has been taking violin lessons for several years and really enjoys it. I mentioned a couple months ago, she had gone to the Seattle Symphony with her father and grandparents to see the Handel's Messiah two days after I saw it. We were talking about it Christmas and I asked if she'd be interested in the opera. "YES!" I called subscriber services and asked which of the remaining shows a youngster would enjoy. So, we picked Florencia in the Amazons.
My brother took us to and from the show -- it was fine limo service. Ericka had a very professional looking outfit, a nice dress with a vest. One of the fun things was it appeared she was the youngest person there. I didn't even see anyone who looked like a teenager. We chatted before the show, and she talked about how she liked playing violin for performances. She gets nervous, and likes the feeling. Isn't that great? I'm so happy she didn't wait as long as I did to make that discovery.
I was quite surprised at how closely Ericka followed the show. It was a great relief, because I really wanted her to enjoy herself. I was in a lot of pain, but her enjoyment was of more immediate concern.
The ushers were wonderful, and more concerned about my comfort than I. Thank God. A couple days before the show I'd changed the seats, so I'd have an aisle for my right leg. It was okay, but the ushers moved us to a couple chairs that weren't bolted down. They're reserved for wheelchairs, but instead of removing the chair for a wheelchair, we simply moved it back so I could put the leg straight out in front of me. That made a big difference, and I don't want to think about how much more it would have hurt had I stayed in the other seat. During the intermission the ushers brought me a stack of booster cushions to elevate my leg, and I broke down and took a couple Vicodin. Despite my worries the medication didn't make things fuzzy. Thanks to the medication and pile of cushions I was almost comfortable.
During the intermission Ericka went down to the orchestra pit to look at how the musicians were situated. She got back about the time the ushers got me all set up with the cushions, to tell me one of the cello players was playing the Messiah. They had seats in the front row for that show, but I was still impressed she would remember one musician so well.
It was a wonderful show, and I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I was thinking of giving my ticket to one of Ericka's parents. I was surely out of my comfort zone, and in this case the zone won't expand. I was tired yesterday, but surprisingly the swelling and such had healed a little more, though by the end of the day I was pretty well used up. No way I could have gone to the Seattle Rep. I suppose I'm pushing myself a little more than the doctor would recommend. I believe my balancing of caution and cabin fever is working. I'm positive keeping my spirits up is a curative of its very own.
I'm going to take it easy this weekend. I'm going to see Rachel's show tomorrow, and I think that will be my only venture out of the house, though I will tackle the stairs a few times to do some laundry. Lots of people are willing to do that for me, and have, but it is something I want to do. I want to do my laundry... Don't tell my parents. I want to keep Dad and Joyce around for a long while, and I'm sure upon hearing this they'd fall over stone cold dead.
I didn't mind missing nine days of work, working short days this week, and likely next week. I did mind missing an audition with Theater Schmeater for their late night show. The night I broke the leg, I gave Paula my password so she could log into my E-mail account and let Rob know I was stuck in the hospital, and wouldn't make the audition. I appreciate that as nearly as much as the grocery shopping she and Steve did for me. Now I'm waiting at least four more weeks before I can start auditioning. Major suckage. As my endurance continues to increase, maybe I'll get in some writing in the mean time.
My tickets for the opera were this Wednesday, and my Dad's tickets for the Seattle Rep were Thursday. I use his tickets when my folks are out of town. I rescheduled the tickets for the rep, didn't think I was up to two nights in a row. Damn good thing I did. There was no way I was going to reschedule or turn in my tickets for the opera.
My eleven year old niece Ericka has been taking violin lessons for several years and really enjoys it. I mentioned a couple months ago, she had gone to the Seattle Symphony with her father and grandparents to see the Handel's Messiah two days after I saw it. We were talking about it Christmas and I asked if she'd be interested in the opera. "YES!" I called subscriber services and asked which of the remaining shows a youngster would enjoy. So, we picked Florencia in the Amazons.
My brother took us to and from the show -- it was fine limo service. Ericka had a very professional looking outfit, a nice dress with a vest. One of the fun things was it appeared she was the youngest person there. I didn't even see anyone who looked like a teenager. We chatted before the show, and she talked about how she liked playing violin for performances. She gets nervous, and likes the feeling. Isn't that great? I'm so happy she didn't wait as long as I did to make that discovery.
I was quite surprised at how closely Ericka followed the show. It was a great relief, because I really wanted her to enjoy herself. I was in a lot of pain, but her enjoyment was of more immediate concern.
The ushers were wonderful, and more concerned about my comfort than I. Thank God. A couple days before the show I'd changed the seats, so I'd have an aisle for my right leg. It was okay, but the ushers moved us to a couple chairs that weren't bolted down. They're reserved for wheelchairs, but instead of removing the chair for a wheelchair, we simply moved it back so I could put the leg straight out in front of me. That made a big difference, and I don't want to think about how much more it would have hurt had I stayed in the other seat. During the intermission the ushers brought me a stack of booster cushions to elevate my leg, and I broke down and took a couple Vicodin. Despite my worries the medication didn't make things fuzzy. Thanks to the medication and pile of cushions I was almost comfortable.
During the intermission Ericka went down to the orchestra pit to look at how the musicians were situated. She got back about the time the ushers got me all set up with the cushions, to tell me one of the cello players was playing the Messiah. They had seats in the front row for that show, but I was still impressed she would remember one musician so well.
It was a wonderful show, and I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I was thinking of giving my ticket to one of Ericka's parents. I was surely out of my comfort zone, and in this case the zone won't expand. I was tired yesterday, but surprisingly the swelling and such had healed a little more, though by the end of the day I was pretty well used up. No way I could have gone to the Seattle Rep. I suppose I'm pushing myself a little more than the doctor would recommend. I believe my balancing of caution and cabin fever is working. I'm positive keeping my spirits up is a curative of its very own.
I'm going to take it easy this weekend. I'm going to see Rachel's show tomorrow, and I think that will be my only venture out of the house, though I will tackle the stairs a few times to do some laundry. Lots of people are willing to do that for me, and have, but it is something I want to do. I want to do my laundry... Don't tell my parents. I want to keep Dad and Joyce around for a long while, and I'm sure upon hearing this they'd fall over stone cold dead.
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