Sweet Serendipity

I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural production of Spinning Tree Theatre a couple of Fridays ago. The theatre company is the dream child of one of my high school friends and his partner. I wanted to support them, so I purchased tickets to their production of William Finn's Make Me a Song. I expected a relaxing and fun evening of song and talent, and I wasn't disappointed. What I didn't expect to find was a little comfort for one of the permanent nicks that life inflicted upon my heart many years ago.

I've written before about how, on some days, I really miss my mom. She passed away when I was five years old, so it's a little strange that I should find myself thinking about her so much now that I'm older. Still, 35 years after her death, I hold tightly to the belief that she can see and hear me, and I rage at the frustration I feel because I can't see or hear her.

But, just as life can inflict pain, it can also soothe it serendipitously.

And that's what happened as I sat in the Off Center Theatre a couple of Fridays ago. When I heard the song, Anytime (I Am There), it was as if my mom was finally responding to the thousands of words I've silently spoken to her over the years. Peace and comfort filled my soul. 

Pity Party - Over and Out

The pity party is over. I love how the space of a few days and a little reflection pulls things back into perspective for me. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, click here.

First, 110 people applied for the job, and only a handful were invited to interview. My husband offered this encouragment: "If there were over 100 applicants, you could be in the top 2% and still not get the job." That made me feel a little better.

Second, I came across one of Gretchen Rubin's (author of The Happines Project, one of my favorite books) personal commandments: Find the Fun in Failure. There is always a lesson to learn from failing. After a few days, I realized that the lesson I learned was not that I am a loser. (My catch phrase for a couple of days. I told you I had a pity party.) Instead, I learned I needed to brush up intergrating technology into the classroom, motivating students, and effectively communicating what I believe every English teacher needs to know in terms of content knowledge. I'll be ready for the next interview.

My gut feeling says there will be a next interview, and doors will open. They may not be the doors I expect and they may not open on my timetable, but I guess but that's the thrill of life, right? Onward and upward.

Job Hunting: My Real Reality

Well, suckity, suck, suck, suck.

I just found out that I didn't get a teaching job I interviewed for on Tuesday. My second job rejection in two days.

Suckity, suck, suck, suck. Job hunting sucks.

Now I am going to go count my blessings (while grumbling).

More later ...

Did I mention that this suckity, suck, sucks, sucks?

Forever Young - The Ideal Reality

Mark and I watched the documentary Young@Heart last weekend. It's a film about a Massachusetts chorus whose members are  each 70+ years old. What sets them apart is that they cover songs from the Rolling Stones, James Brown, Coldplay, and other suprising musicians. It's a fascinating and fun documentary, and it really made me wonder about how I will live my life in later years.

Here's a clip of the group performing Purple Haze.



When the chorus sang Forever Young in tribute to one of its members who passed away the night before a performance, I cried. And I thought about how this was perhaps the ultimate portrayal of how ideal reality and real reality sometimes collide. Throughout the movie, several of the chorus members talked about how alive they felt when they sang with the chorus. Forever Young. This idea was juxtaposed with the reality that all life must end.

I encouraged you to watch the movie. It really is enjoyable. Funny. Intelligent. Heartbreaking. Real.
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