"At the end of the day, faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you don’t really expect it. It’s like one day, you realize that the fairy tale might be slightly different than you dreamt. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. And it’s not so important that it’s a “happily ever after,” just that it’s a happy right now. See, once in awhile, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you, and once in awhile people may even take your breath away." –Meredith Grey
My friend posted this on my myspace at a time when I really needed it and I just found it again. It truly does reflect the feelings I had at the time she posted this quote.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Moments of clarity during a severe lack of sleep...
I was driving to work today, listening to my iPod (thank God for the iPod hookup in my car, otherwise I'd be stuck listening to crappy music on the radio) when a song that I first heard as a child came on. It was "My Wild Irish Rose." It's an Irish folk song that is often sung in Barber Shop choirs. In fact, that's my first memory of the song. My Godfather, Fred (Uncle Fred) was in a Barber Shop choir (for those of you on the up and up in music, he was a member of the Valleyaires, located in the San Fernando Valley) and I remember going to one of his concerts many, many years ago and hearing that song for the first time.
Anytime I hear that song, I seem to think of him. Well, today, I got to thinking about the last time I saw him. It was about six years ago (about six months before he died) and my high school's Chamber Choir had the privilege of singing at one of the Valleyaires' concerts. It was an amazing experience to be performing with not only a choir that I had seen regularly as a child, but more importantly, performing with my Uncle Fred. I actually didn't realize that was the last time I saw him until today. I think I saw him shortly before he died, but I can't be sure and if I did, I don't remember it. This was the last time I remember seeing him. It made me smile to think that the last time I remember seeing him was a time in which we were both happy and enjoying what we do.
This is how I will remember my Uncle Fred. Happy, and full of life. I will also remember him as Santa because every year when I was a kid, he would dress up as Santa at our Christmas parties and spend time with each of the kids there. In later years, when my sister went into her group home and the home would have Christmas parties, he would come to those too and play Santa and get a kick out of how happy he made people. He was a truely inspiring man and I was so privileged to have known him the way I did.
Rest in Peace, Uncle Fred. You are greatly missed.
Love,
Your Wild Irish Rose
Anytime I hear that song, I seem to think of him. Well, today, I got to thinking about the last time I saw him. It was about six years ago (about six months before he died) and my high school's Chamber Choir had the privilege of singing at one of the Valleyaires' concerts. It was an amazing experience to be performing with not only a choir that I had seen regularly as a child, but more importantly, performing with my Uncle Fred. I actually didn't realize that was the last time I saw him until today. I think I saw him shortly before he died, but I can't be sure and if I did, I don't remember it. This was the last time I remember seeing him. It made me smile to think that the last time I remember seeing him was a time in which we were both happy and enjoying what we do.
This is how I will remember my Uncle Fred. Happy, and full of life. I will also remember him as Santa because every year when I was a kid, he would dress up as Santa at our Christmas parties and spend time with each of the kids there. In later years, when my sister went into her group home and the home would have Christmas parties, he would come to those too and play Santa and get a kick out of how happy he made people. He was a truely inspiring man and I was so privileged to have known him the way I did.
Rest in Peace, Uncle Fred. You are greatly missed.
Love,
Your Wild Irish Rose
PS: In the picture he is in the first row on the very far right...the one that kind of looks like, you guessed it, Santa.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Rain
It rained yesterday. I never noticed before but I feel like after it rains, everything is in HD. Crystal clear. I loved it. It was absolutely beautiful and I just had to write about it. That's all.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
I'm getting too old for this. Why can't people just grow up and get over their shit?
Last night was a great night...until I was driving home from a rather successful rehearsal. One of the cast members called me to let me know that she and her boyfriend (also in my cast) as well as a few other castmates had an altercation with cast members of the other show that's going on at school. It was related to drama between two couples (the one in our cast and one in the other) that were once really good friends and now have grown apart due to one person's dislike for her friend's boyfriend.
I guess what happened (as told by the person who called me) was that she was talking to someone in our cast and answering questions that this person had about why people in the other cast were being rude to her. Well, the boyfriend of the couple in the other show overheard this and must have told his girlfriend because as my cast members were leaving rehearsal, a number of the cast members from the other show were outside waiting for them and started verbally attacking them (I believe the boyfriend of the couple in my cast was called an "oompa loompa." Real mature, I know). Apparently the boyfriend of the couple in my cast was so angered that he needed to be held back by another member of my cast (an innocent bystander, no doubt, but I'm thankful for the military training that he's been through). All of this was occuring while I, the stage manager, and the director were fisnishing up inside and locking up. I had no idea this happened until I was called and I thought that it was weird when a member of the other cast asked me if the director of our show was still around (I'm guessing so she could complain about my cast causing trouble, when she was waiting around to start it).
I'm so sick of this. Every show I do, there's some form of drama between people in our cast. I'm getting too old for this. And every time, it's related to something that happened in the past. This just further's my need to get out of this school. I need to move on, and I'm now working harder to do that. I love theatre and I don't want to give it up, but every time something like this happens, it just makes me want to quit. I love the theatre for the fulfillment I get out of performing to sell-out crowds (that's still kind of surreal to me), and what I get personally out of it: I love making people happy with my performances. But I hate the people sometimes. A lot of them are attention whores and drama queens and I can't stand being around such selfish people. It sickens me (literally, I sometimes can't sleep because of the "drama" that happens, which then weakens my immune system, and makes me get sick. Ugh). I wish there was some way that I could do what I love, but not with the people I hate.
I just wish that these people (some of them are actually older than me, believe it or not) would just grow up and get over what little trivial drama they have with each other. When I told my mom about what happened, she asked, "Are you guys in elementary school again?" Come on guys. My junior high kids in youth group and camp are more mature than you. I don't care if you don't like each other, just grow up and move on. I'm not saying that you have to be best friends, just stop spreading rumors and gossiping about them. No one that matters actually cares about the shit you say. And if you don't like the person/people, then don't talk to them.
Don't get me wrong, some of the people I've met through theatre are some of my best friends. And those friends have been amazing when I've needed their support. But it's only a few people that I can actually trust. And I'm not sure whether or not it's worth it to stay in this theatre department just because of a few people. Ugh. Sometimes, I hate my life.
I guess what happened (as told by the person who called me) was that she was talking to someone in our cast and answering questions that this person had about why people in the other cast were being rude to her. Well, the boyfriend of the couple in the other show overheard this and must have told his girlfriend because as my cast members were leaving rehearsal, a number of the cast members from the other show were outside waiting for them and started verbally attacking them (I believe the boyfriend of the couple in my cast was called an "oompa loompa." Real mature, I know). Apparently the boyfriend of the couple in my cast was so angered that he needed to be held back by another member of my cast (an innocent bystander, no doubt, but I'm thankful for the military training that he's been through). All of this was occuring while I, the stage manager, and the director were fisnishing up inside and locking up. I had no idea this happened until I was called and I thought that it was weird when a member of the other cast asked me if the director of our show was still around (I'm guessing so she could complain about my cast causing trouble, when she was waiting around to start it).
I'm so sick of this. Every show I do, there's some form of drama between people in our cast. I'm getting too old for this. And every time, it's related to something that happened in the past. This just further's my need to get out of this school. I need to move on, and I'm now working harder to do that. I love theatre and I don't want to give it up, but every time something like this happens, it just makes me want to quit. I love the theatre for the fulfillment I get out of performing to sell-out crowds (that's still kind of surreal to me), and what I get personally out of it: I love making people happy with my performances. But I hate the people sometimes. A lot of them are attention whores and drama queens and I can't stand being around such selfish people. It sickens me (literally, I sometimes can't sleep because of the "drama" that happens, which then weakens my immune system, and makes me get sick. Ugh). I wish there was some way that I could do what I love, but not with the people I hate.
I just wish that these people (some of them are actually older than me, believe it or not) would just grow up and get over what little trivial drama they have with each other. When I told my mom about what happened, she asked, "Are you guys in elementary school again?" Come on guys. My junior high kids in youth group and camp are more mature than you. I don't care if you don't like each other, just grow up and move on. I'm not saying that you have to be best friends, just stop spreading rumors and gossiping about them. No one that matters actually cares about the shit you say. And if you don't like the person/people, then don't talk to them.
Don't get me wrong, some of the people I've met through theatre are some of my best friends. And those friends have been amazing when I've needed their support. But it's only a few people that I can actually trust. And I'm not sure whether or not it's worth it to stay in this theatre department just because of a few people. Ugh. Sometimes, I hate my life.
Friday, September 19, 2008
I may be going to New York!!!
Hooray!!! A much needed vacation may possibly occur during the week of Thanksgiving. I don't want to get my hopes up though because the idea was just presented to me yesterday. My friend Kelly was in the Green Room talking about how she was going to New York yesterday and said that her mom was going to buy an extra ticket for anyone that wanted to go with her. I said I'd go with her and she said, "Ok." We talked about it a little and that was pretty much it. Now there are two things currently in my way of making this a real thing: 1) I'm not too enitirely sure how serious Kelly is about doing this. She said that she wanted to look at colleges and stuff so that makes me think that she is going to do this. But she tends to kind of flake out sometimes. 2) This trip would be the week of Thanksgiving and I don't know if my mom would really like me to be away during a "family holiday" but I'm going to try and explain to her that at least it's not Christmas, which tends to be a bigger event than Thanksgiving. Plus, I haven't been very keen on Thanksgiving in more recent years. I think the effects of my grandmother's death the day before some years ago has to do with that. I'm going to try and talk to her today about it. I hope things go well.
Now, IF I do go I have to come up with a list of things to do while I'm there:
1. Eat at "Famous Ray's Pizza," (apparently that's going to be our first meal there according to Kelly).
2. See a Broadway show (Kelly and I agreed on The Little Mermaid)
3. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
4. Ice Skating at Rockefeller Center
5. Visit ground zero
6. Statue of Liberty
7. Times Square
8. Empire State Building (Jim said that I should throw a penny off the top, Kelly says it's not possible because of fencing)
9. United Nations (if I'm going to work there one day, I should get used to my surroundings)
10. Kelly wants to look at NYU, and I'm thinking that I do too.
11. Central Park
12. Metropolitan Museum of Art
13. Breakfast at Tiffany's
14. maybe Greenwich Village
15. riding the subway
There are definitely more, but at least this is a starting point. That, and I have to go type an essay now.
Now, IF I do go I have to come up with a list of things to do while I'm there:
1. Eat at "Famous Ray's Pizza," (apparently that's going to be our first meal there according to Kelly).
2. See a Broadway show (Kelly and I agreed on The Little Mermaid)
3. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
4. Ice Skating at Rockefeller Center
5. Visit ground zero
6. Statue of Liberty
7. Times Square
8. Empire State Building (Jim said that I should throw a penny off the top, Kelly says it's not possible because of fencing)
9. United Nations (if I'm going to work there one day, I should get used to my surroundings)
10. Kelly wants to look at NYU, and I'm thinking that I do too.
11. Central Park
12. Metropolitan Museum of Art
13. Breakfast at Tiffany's
14. maybe Greenwich Village
15. riding the subway
There are definitely more, but at least this is a starting point. That, and I have to go type an essay now.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
New Blog!
For those of you who would like to read the stories of my wacky travels, here's the link: www.travelsinthegreatwidesomewhere.blogspot.com. Hope you enjoy it!
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