As you may know, I'm a big fan of Donald Miller. I've read a couple of his books and I'm very interested in his Storyline concept. I think he is very inspirational. I also follow his blog and his Twitter feed, so occasionally I'll do his challenges. His main idea is to make your life a great story, one that people would want to tell about you or read. Here's a challenge he posed this past weekend. He says:
3 Keys to Ruling the World
1. Move from fuzzy to clear ambitions: The reason
Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill and Mother Theresa all lived great
stories is because they, and the rest of the world, knew exactly what
they wanted. King wanted racial equality, Churchill wanted to defeat
Hitler and Mother Theresa wanted dignity for the poor. So, if we want to
live impactful stories, our ambitions must be just as clear. Take out a
piece of paper today and write down what your primary ambitions are.
Meditate and pray about them. This one step will make you a much more
compelling person. Try doing this the second you finish reading this
article. It won't be long before people around you begin to see you as a
leader, simply because you have clear ambitions.
So here's mine. I want to become a certified makeup artist. I eventually want to work freelance so that I don't have to be tied down to a 40 hour per week job, and I can spend more time with my loved ones. I want to make brides feel the best they ever have on their wedding day. I want to give free makeovers to low-income or homeless women who are going on job interviews. I want to help people find the beauty that is within themselves, while also discovering new elements of my inner and outer beauty. It may not be as noble as wanting to defeat Hitler, but it's a start.
2. Move from conflict avoidant to conflict engaging:
All great characters have to go through conflict. Without conflict,
stories are boring and characters don't change. Real-life people are the
same. The more we avoid conflict, the less impact we will have. Are you
avoiding conflict? Procrastinating? Not reconciling with somebody?
Write down three things you are avoiding, tackle them today, and
tomorrow you'll be living with less stress. And you'll have an enormous
amount of self-respect. Great characters engage conflict peacefully and
easily.
A. I have been avoiding telling my students that I won't be back next year. I am worried about how they will react. I'm worried they'll be empowered that they chased me off, and start attempting to do the same to every new teacher.
B. I have been procrastinating creating a strict budget for myself. I need to keep better track of my spending so I can save money.
C. I have not been going to the gym. I waste money every month on a gym membership that I don't use!
3. Choose meaning over pleasure: Pleasure isn't always
bad. In fact, pleasure is mostly good. But when pleasure drives us, we
end up living sad stories. Our ambitions should be more meaningful. When
we choose what we want our lives to be about, we would do better to
choose relational endeavors. Sure, it's okay to make a lot of money. But
if our lives are all about making money, we won't contribute much to
the well being of our loved ones. Make your ambitions heartfelt. Choose
to want a great marriage, to have a well-loved family, to be a
supportive listener, to be a protective leader. Make each of your
ambitions count by connecting them to the well-being of others.
I want to bring joy and laughter to others, whether it is through the art of theatre, giving people makeovers, teaching theatre classes on the side, or just spending time with friends.
Expect me to be ruling the world by tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Out with the old
Wow. It is safe to say I fell off the blogging wagon... if that even makes sense. I almost want to create a brand new blog because this one seems so dated now, but I love the previous posts I made on here, and much like a journal, they remind me of how silly and crazy my worries were even just a year ago. I love looking back on old journal entries and laughing at myself. Rarely do I think, "Wow, I was so wise back then. These are really good observations on life and love." Most of the time, I feel silly about the things I wrote, and feel that I am wiser in the present. Although I'll probably look at this in a year and call myself a fool again, I definitely want to push forward and document the thoughts and feelings I have now. Also, I want to share with my friends, family, and acquaintances what's been going on with me for the past year. This year has been the most challenging year of my life, and I feel that I have grown immensely.
This past August (2012) I accepted a job at a middle school in Oak Cliff, which is an area in south Dallas. This area does not have the best reputation. When I tell people that I am a teacher, their reaction is something along the lines of, "Oh great! Good for you!" and then they always ask where. When I say, "Oak Cliff," their reaction turns to this:
And for good reason. This is a very angry neighborhood, with very angry kids and parents. The kids don't have enough to eat, they don't care about their grades, and they certainly don't care about their behavior. When I went through new teacher training in August, I listened to Harry Wong, a very well-respected former teacher and public speaker, tell us about CLASSROOM PROCEDURES. He said if you just have excellent CLASSROOM PROCEDURES, you will have an easy breezy year. I am here to tell you that
HARRY WONG IS A BIG FAT LIAR.
Harry Wong never worked in a school like this. I have excellent classroom procedures. I greet my students at the door with a smile. The students are to come in at the beginning of every class, get out their theatre journals, and do the Bell Work that is posted on the white board. It is a quick write, 3-5 sentences on the question posted. If they finish early, they are to read silently while I take attendance and get ready for class to begin. Then we start instruction. If they have questions, they are to raise their hands. If I need their attention, I say, "Actors, Actors!" and they are to respond with, "Yes, Yes!" They know the procedure for moving the tables and chairs when we go into "Activity Mode." They know the procedure for walking to the auditorium. At the end of every class, we say a chant. "Respect each other, respect the teacher, respect the stage, respect yourself! Drama rocks!"
But none of this happens.
Don't get me wrong, some of my 6th graders are sweethearts and are still in that "eager to please" stage. But when we practiced our procedures at the beginning of the semester, I have students who just sit there and do nothing. I said, "Ok, we are going to practice this until I have 100% of you saying the chant!" or whatever it was we were practicing. I had private conferences to find out why they weren't doing as they were asked. Maybe they were confused? No. They are just defiant. I scheduled parent meetings, counselor meetings, tutoring, detention, office referrals. Nothing works. They come right back with the same attitude. They just refuse to participate. Or worse, they are very vocal about how stupid they think the activity is. You would think, since I taught theater, that I would have the fun classes! When we did monologues, about 50% of my students said, "Miss, I am not prepared. I will take a zero." I said, "Just try! If you get up there and say words, I will give you participation points." They wanted a zero. It made them look cool and tough. Throughout the year, I created a website and posted lots of photos to Twitter and Instagram of all the fun we had in class. I wanted to praise the good ones. But I have been miserable. Every day.
On this campus, if two students bump into each other in the hallway, they don't say excuse me. They fight. If I reprimand a student in the hallway for yelling, squeaking shoes, flickering lights, cursing, etc. They don't stop to listen to me. They run. In the past I have run after them, but if I don't know their name (which is likely, in this school of 1500 students) or they're faster than me, they get away with it. One time, I heard a girl crying in the bathroom. After making sure the rest of the bathroom was empty, I went to her stall and said, "Sweetheart? Are you ok?" No response. I tried again. "Young lady? Do you need help?" After a long pause, I was about to give up. Just as I was about to leave, she yelled, "BITCH GO AWAY!!" I'm telling you, they're angry.
The final straw came a couple of weeks ago. A young lady with bright purple hair dropped some string cheese in the hallway. This young lady dropped the cheese and then walked away. I followed her into the stairwell and said, "Young lady, please come pick up this cheese. I have a napkin and a trashcan in my room." She ran. I followed her down the stairs. I was NOT going to pick up that cheese myself. I hope you laugh as you read this, because I am laughing as I write it. However, on the day it happened, I was furious. So I get to the bottom of the stairs and she is nowhere to be found. I go into the nearest classroom, which happens to be the band hall. I find her. I say to the band director, "Ms. Smith! This young lady dropped some cheese in the hallway upstairs. When I asked her to pick it up, she ran. Could you please send her up to get it?" Ms. Smith was very firm with her and sent her back up. By then I had retrieved a napkin and was waiting at the top of the stairs with a trashcan. I basically did all the work for her. She grabbed the napkin from me hatefully, rolled her eyes at me, and picked it up, throwing it into the bin as if she were trying to make it blow out the bottom of the trashcan. I said, "Thank you. If this happens again, could you please speak to me calmly about it? Then we could avoid all of this." She responded with, "WELL, I'M NOT A VERY CALM PERSON." I said, "I can see that. You should work on that." And then I said something about how she won't get very far in life without respect, blah blah blah it's not important. She was gone anyway.
Right then and there, I decided I was not going to be spoken to that way for the rest of my life. She had to pick up the cheese, yes, but she got away with speaking to me and her band teacher in that tone. And she will continue to speak that way to people forever. I have seen students speak to the assistant principal this way and get away with it. They have no fear, and no respect for others, adults or their peers. These are just a couple of my horror stories. I have had many fights in my classroom, broke up huge fights in the courtyard, have had my life threatened, had a student who had a hit list discovered on him, among many other things. I do not feel happy or safe here, and it's time to go. I have had talks about retaliation, about doing the right thing, about fairness, bullying, everything with all of my classes. I worked very hard to create an atmosphere where they felt safe to talk about these issues. In return, I get blank stares and rolled eyes. They think it's dumb to be fair or settle an argument calmly with words. If I felt that I was making a difference (a la Michelle Pfeiffer) I would stay. But I think there is someone out there who CAN make a difference, so I have vacated my position for them.
Quick soap box moment: If you know a teacher and think they have it easy because "they have summers off," I hope this post has convinced you that you might be mistaken. Imagine making a big presentation at work, and how nervous you get and how much you prepare. This is every day for a teacher. Imagine getting spoken to like you're filth, like you're nothing. This is every day for a teacher, at least one in an urban district. On top of this, most take up summer jobs to make ends meet. My parents made it look easy. It is not. Hug a teacher. I need a hug. (Ok, I'm off my soap box.) Please note that I am not criticizing Dallas ISD, or my campus. I am grateful for this opportunity, and I know my campus leaders and the leaders in the district are doing the best they can with what they have. I might be willing (in a few years) to take my EXCELLENT classroom procedures and high-tail it to a different district. But I need a year or two to breathe. I am extremely jealous of the teachers who are finishing up their year with posts like, "I am crying as I say goodbye to my kids!" "I know now that this is what I am meant to do!" "I will miss their little faces!" "My kids got me a gift!" Ugh. My kids probably hope they won't ever see me again. And hopefully, they won't.
So I'm seeing this as a wonderful opportunity. I am much more patient and tolerant now. I learned many life lessons. I expanded my view of the world around me. I worked for 2 years to get certified and find a teaching job. I reached that goal, and decided it is not for me. Now it is time for a new goal.
Goals for this summer and the future (even the silly ones you don't care about but I want to get written down):
- Become a skilled guitar player. I picked up the guitar I borrowed from my dad last night and remembered all the chords, but I was very slow and my fingers hurt like the dickens!!
- Learn Spanish (and French... but let's be realistic here and begin with Spanish.)
- Find a career I am passionate about that gets me to leap out of bed in the morning (wouldn't we all like to find that? Congrats to you if you have!) I picture myself like Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels. I would like that scene to be my morning ritual.
- Travel abroad again. I am itching to go on (another) life-changing trip! Paris is my next destination. Or maybe Switzerland. Ok, I can't decide yet.
- Earn my Actor's Equity card.
- Go to church (I would NOT have made it through this year without my faith that everything is in His plan. But I need to get my butt to a church.)
- Go on a national tour with a theater company
- Write a play (or some kind of narrative) about my experience as a teacher
- See all 50 states
- Create more YouTube videos that showcase my makeup skills, singing ability, and acting
- Create blog posts on a regular basis
- Wash my face and brush my teeth every night because I'm getting old... ew
Resolutions don't work for me. I never keep my New Year's promises, or birthday promises to myself. Here is my opportunity to start over. Donald Miller says, "If no one would make a movie about your life, then you're not living a very interesting life." So here's to making my life a GREAT story (NOT the one from the movie Dangerous Minds)!
I am still Chasing the Dream. I'm just trying to figure out what that dream is.
This past August (2012) I accepted a job at a middle school in Oak Cliff, which is an area in south Dallas. This area does not have the best reputation. When I tell people that I am a teacher, their reaction is something along the lines of, "Oh great! Good for you!" and then they always ask where. When I say, "Oak Cliff," their reaction turns to this:
And for good reason. This is a very angry neighborhood, with very angry kids and parents. The kids don't have enough to eat, they don't care about their grades, and they certainly don't care about their behavior. When I went through new teacher training in August, I listened to Harry Wong, a very well-respected former teacher and public speaker, tell us about CLASSROOM PROCEDURES. He said if you just have excellent CLASSROOM PROCEDURES, you will have an easy breezy year. I am here to tell you that
HARRY WONG IS A BIG FAT LIAR.
Harry Wong never worked in a school like this. I have excellent classroom procedures. I greet my students at the door with a smile. The students are to come in at the beginning of every class, get out their theatre journals, and do the Bell Work that is posted on the white board. It is a quick write, 3-5 sentences on the question posted. If they finish early, they are to read silently while I take attendance and get ready for class to begin. Then we start instruction. If they have questions, they are to raise their hands. If I need their attention, I say, "Actors, Actors!" and they are to respond with, "Yes, Yes!" They know the procedure for moving the tables and chairs when we go into "Activity Mode." They know the procedure for walking to the auditorium. At the end of every class, we say a chant. "Respect each other, respect the teacher, respect the stage, respect yourself! Drama rocks!"
But none of this happens.
Don't get me wrong, some of my 6th graders are sweethearts and are still in that "eager to please" stage. But when we practiced our procedures at the beginning of the semester, I have students who just sit there and do nothing. I said, "Ok, we are going to practice this until I have 100% of you saying the chant!" or whatever it was we were practicing. I had private conferences to find out why they weren't doing as they were asked. Maybe they were confused? No. They are just defiant. I scheduled parent meetings, counselor meetings, tutoring, detention, office referrals. Nothing works. They come right back with the same attitude. They just refuse to participate. Or worse, they are very vocal about how stupid they think the activity is. You would think, since I taught theater, that I would have the fun classes! When we did monologues, about 50% of my students said, "Miss, I am not prepared. I will take a zero." I said, "Just try! If you get up there and say words, I will give you participation points." They wanted a zero. It made them look cool and tough. Throughout the year, I created a website and posted lots of photos to Twitter and Instagram of all the fun we had in class. I wanted to praise the good ones. But I have been miserable. Every day.
On this campus, if two students bump into each other in the hallway, they don't say excuse me. They fight. If I reprimand a student in the hallway for yelling, squeaking shoes, flickering lights, cursing, etc. They don't stop to listen to me. They run. In the past I have run after them, but if I don't know their name (which is likely, in this school of 1500 students) or they're faster than me, they get away with it. One time, I heard a girl crying in the bathroom. After making sure the rest of the bathroom was empty, I went to her stall and said, "Sweetheart? Are you ok?" No response. I tried again. "Young lady? Do you need help?" After a long pause, I was about to give up. Just as I was about to leave, she yelled, "BITCH GO AWAY!!" I'm telling you, they're angry.
The final straw came a couple of weeks ago. A young lady with bright purple hair dropped some string cheese in the hallway. This young lady dropped the cheese and then walked away. I followed her into the stairwell and said, "Young lady, please come pick up this cheese. I have a napkin and a trashcan in my room." She ran. I followed her down the stairs. I was NOT going to pick up that cheese myself. I hope you laugh as you read this, because I am laughing as I write it. However, on the day it happened, I was furious. So I get to the bottom of the stairs and she is nowhere to be found. I go into the nearest classroom, which happens to be the band hall. I find her. I say to the band director, "Ms. Smith! This young lady dropped some cheese in the hallway upstairs. When I asked her to pick it up, she ran. Could you please send her up to get it?" Ms. Smith was very firm with her and sent her back up. By then I had retrieved a napkin and was waiting at the top of the stairs with a trashcan. I basically did all the work for her. She grabbed the napkin from me hatefully, rolled her eyes at me, and picked it up, throwing it into the bin as if she were trying to make it blow out the bottom of the trashcan. I said, "Thank you. If this happens again, could you please speak to me calmly about it? Then we could avoid all of this." She responded with, "WELL, I'M NOT A VERY CALM PERSON." I said, "I can see that. You should work on that." And then I said something about how she won't get very far in life without respect, blah blah blah it's not important. She was gone anyway.
Right then and there, I decided I was not going to be spoken to that way for the rest of my life. She had to pick up the cheese, yes, but she got away with speaking to me and her band teacher in that tone. And she will continue to speak that way to people forever. I have seen students speak to the assistant principal this way and get away with it. They have no fear, and no respect for others, adults or their peers. These are just a couple of my horror stories. I have had many fights in my classroom, broke up huge fights in the courtyard, have had my life threatened, had a student who had a hit list discovered on him, among many other things. I do not feel happy or safe here, and it's time to go. I have had talks about retaliation, about doing the right thing, about fairness, bullying, everything with all of my classes. I worked very hard to create an atmosphere where they felt safe to talk about these issues. In return, I get blank stares and rolled eyes. They think it's dumb to be fair or settle an argument calmly with words. If I felt that I was making a difference (a la Michelle Pfeiffer) I would stay. But I think there is someone out there who CAN make a difference, so I have vacated my position for them.
Quick soap box moment: If you know a teacher and think they have it easy because "they have summers off," I hope this post has convinced you that you might be mistaken. Imagine making a big presentation at work, and how nervous you get and how much you prepare. This is every day for a teacher. Imagine getting spoken to like you're filth, like you're nothing. This is every day for a teacher, at least one in an urban district. On top of this, most take up summer jobs to make ends meet. My parents made it look easy. It is not. Hug a teacher. I need a hug. (Ok, I'm off my soap box.) Please note that I am not criticizing Dallas ISD, or my campus. I am grateful for this opportunity, and I know my campus leaders and the leaders in the district are doing the best they can with what they have. I might be willing (in a few years) to take my EXCELLENT classroom procedures and high-tail it to a different district. But I need a year or two to breathe. I am extremely jealous of the teachers who are finishing up their year with posts like, "I am crying as I say goodbye to my kids!" "I know now that this is what I am meant to do!" "I will miss their little faces!" "My kids got me a gift!" Ugh. My kids probably hope they won't ever see me again. And hopefully, they won't.
So I'm seeing this as a wonderful opportunity. I am much more patient and tolerant now. I learned many life lessons. I expanded my view of the world around me. I worked for 2 years to get certified and find a teaching job. I reached that goal, and decided it is not for me. Now it is time for a new goal.
Goals for this summer and the future (even the silly ones you don't care about but I want to get written down):
- Become a skilled guitar player. I picked up the guitar I borrowed from my dad last night and remembered all the chords, but I was very slow and my fingers hurt like the dickens!!
- Learn Spanish (and French... but let's be realistic here and begin with Spanish.)
- Find a career I am passionate about that gets me to leap out of bed in the morning (wouldn't we all like to find that? Congrats to you if you have!) I picture myself like Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels. I would like that scene to be my morning ritual.
- Travel abroad again. I am itching to go on (another) life-changing trip! Paris is my next destination. Or maybe Switzerland. Ok, I can't decide yet.
- Earn my Actor's Equity card.
- Go to church (I would NOT have made it through this year without my faith that everything is in His plan. But I need to get my butt to a church.)
- Go on a national tour with a theater company
- Write a play (or some kind of narrative) about my experience as a teacher
- See all 50 states
- Create more YouTube videos that showcase my makeup skills, singing ability, and acting
- Create blog posts on a regular basis
- Wash my face and brush my teeth every night because I'm getting old... ew
Resolutions don't work for me. I never keep my New Year's promises, or birthday promises to myself. Here is my opportunity to start over. Donald Miller says, "If no one would make a movie about your life, then you're not living a very interesting life." So here's to making my life a GREAT story (NOT the one from the movie Dangerous Minds)!
I am still Chasing the Dream. I'm just trying to figure out what that dream is.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Leap and the net will appear.
HEY YA'LL---
What's new and hip and happenin' in your lives? I am just livin' life to the fullest here in Dallas. Currently still working at Ulta, attempting to teach theater to some wild children a few afternoons a week, and rehearsing for "Camp Death" at Pocket Sandwich Theater. I'm excited to be working with some of my closest friends again, and meeting some pretty awesome new friends. It opens September 30 and runs through November. As I've said a million times before, I'm so lucky to be working in theater! I love my job.
As usual, I miss Stillwater a lot. I'm excited to go home in a few short weeks for Maggi's wedding! EEEEEK!
In other news, I have a 10k coming up that I really need to get my bod in shape for! And it's not just a 10k. It's a mud run. When I start I'm going to look like this:
Don't question the helmet.
And when I'm done I'm gonna look like this:
I know. Terriying, right? But it's for a good cause. It benefits the National MS Society, and I'm running with a few friends. This is my first year to do it and I'm really excited! I will keep you posted on how the training is coming along. For more info, check out their sit:
www.theoriginalmudrun.com
That's it for now, much love---
KK
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Happy Heart
It has been a long time since my last post! It is definitely time to dust off the old blog.
The show I have been working on for the past few months, Sunday in New York, opens TONIGHT! I have just been sitting here this morning counting my blessings. Mark, our director, is such a wonderful and funny person, and the cast is incredibly talented. I am so blessed to be doing what I love. I had a hard time adjusting to life in Dallas, but I am officially thrilled to be here. I have made some wonderful friends and laughed harder in these last few weeks than I ever could have imagined possible. My family and best friends are coming to see the show, so I get to see even more people I love in the coming weeks. New friends meeting my old friends. What could be better?
Also, I recently accepted a position working in Yellowstone this summer. My family practically raised me outdoors, and we always take camping and hiking trips together. This summer will be a chance to get away from OK and TX and be independent, while also seeing one of the most beautiful places in the US. I can't wait to meet even more new people and have a little adventure. Also, Michael's sister is studying abroad in London this semester, so we are going to visit her in a couple of months. I am so incredibly grateful for all the wonderful people and opportunities that have been presented. Never give up on your dreams, people!
Time to go apply for some jobs. Life is feeding my soul, but not my stomach.
Much love to you and yours.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Holi-daze
Rehearsals have begun!!
Last Monday we started rehearsals for Sunday in New York! I'm so so happy to be in my first Dallas play! My first play in the real world! Yahooooo! I read the play several times over Thanksgiving break because I wasn't sure how strict our director would be about having our lines memorized. Turns out he is very laid back and super cool! Monday night we did a read-through and let me tell you, the script is a lot funnier with other people reading with you! It was a relief to hear laughter while we were reading it. It just reminded me that this is a funny play, no stress needed. The only problem is, I have been a kinda worried about my little car. Old Blue is reliable, but getting pretty old. Rehearsals are in Plano, about 30 minutes from here, and it's getting cold. Say your prayers that I make it to and fro safely! I get a little nervy at night on these ridiculous Texas highways. I complain a lot about how hot Texas is for December, but thankfully we won't have ice. Knock on wood.
So althroughout last week we have been blocking the scenes. We are about halfway done! The cast and crew are SO nice. Everyone is really funny and easygoing. There's some onstage kissing in this show, but they're really good about making a joke of it and not being awkward. Hopefully everything keeps going great :) This week and next we are finishing it and then running the show as many times as we can before we break for Christmas!! I can't believe the holidays are so close!
Speaking of the holidays, work has been crazy as well. This is my first retail job, and I'm really glad for the experience, but it makes me not enjoy the holidays as much as I normally would. People get pushy and mean! Tis the season people, cheer up. The store is so crazy, I had to be there at 5am on Saturday morning just to clean up before we even opened! Let me tell you, if I can slap a smile on my face after waking up at 4am, you can be nice to me when you slept in and then got up to spend money on your loved ones. Be friendly while you're out shopping! Remember that cheesy saying, it's harder to frown than it is to smile. Also, ALL ULTA PLAYS over the soundsystem is Christmas music. Normally I would be delighted about this, but the music is so weird. It's all techno and strange, and there's some kind of rule about not saying "God" or "Christ" or anything like that, so on the religious songs (aka all of them), they bleep out the God words with techno screeches and wicki-wickies. Not cool. The rest are 20 different versions of "Santa Baby." Yuck. The good news is, Michael got me an early Christmas present-- REAL Christmas music I won't get sick of! The Glee Christmas album!
It's so sweet and uplifting. My favorite is "We Need a Little Christmas." Ain't that the truth! It also has my 2 favorite classics, Oh Holy Night and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Amber Riley has the most beautiful voice. She's my fave, and I can't wait for the Christmas episode.
That's all for today, not much going on besides work and rehearsal (which I guess is also work but just feels like fun). Life is good! Be happy and spread cheer.
Last Monday we started rehearsals for Sunday in New York! I'm so so happy to be in my first Dallas play! My first play in the real world! Yahooooo! I read the play several times over Thanksgiving break because I wasn't sure how strict our director would be about having our lines memorized. Turns out he is very laid back and super cool! Monday night we did a read-through and let me tell you, the script is a lot funnier with other people reading with you! It was a relief to hear laughter while we were reading it. It just reminded me that this is a funny play, no stress needed. The only problem is, I have been a kinda worried about my little car. Old Blue is reliable, but getting pretty old. Rehearsals are in Plano, about 30 minutes from here, and it's getting cold. Say your prayers that I make it to and fro safely! I get a little nervy at night on these ridiculous Texas highways. I complain a lot about how hot Texas is for December, but thankfully we won't have ice. Knock on wood.
So althroughout last week we have been blocking the scenes. We are about halfway done! The cast and crew are SO nice. Everyone is really funny and easygoing. There's some onstage kissing in this show, but they're really good about making a joke of it and not being awkward. Hopefully everything keeps going great :) This week and next we are finishing it and then running the show as many times as we can before we break for Christmas!! I can't believe the holidays are so close!
Speaking of the holidays, work has been crazy as well. This is my first retail job, and I'm really glad for the experience, but it makes me not enjoy the holidays as much as I normally would. People get pushy and mean! Tis the season people, cheer up. The store is so crazy, I had to be there at 5am on Saturday morning just to clean up before we even opened! Let me tell you, if I can slap a smile on my face after waking up at 4am, you can be nice to me when you slept in and then got up to spend money on your loved ones. Be friendly while you're out shopping! Remember that cheesy saying, it's harder to frown than it is to smile. Also, ALL ULTA PLAYS over the soundsystem is Christmas music. Normally I would be delighted about this, but the music is so weird. It's all techno and strange, and there's some kind of rule about not saying "God" or "Christ" or anything like that, so on the religious songs (aka all of them), they bleep out the God words with techno screeches and wicki-wickies. Not cool. The rest are 20 different versions of "Santa Baby." Yuck. The good news is, Michael got me an early Christmas present-- REAL Christmas music I won't get sick of! The Glee Christmas album!
It's so sweet and uplifting. My favorite is "We Need a Little Christmas." Ain't that the truth! It also has my 2 favorite classics, Oh Holy Night and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Amber Riley has the most beautiful voice. She's my fave, and I can't wait for the Christmas episode.
That's all for today, not much going on besides work and rehearsal (which I guess is also work but just feels like fun). Life is good! Be happy and spread cheer.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Eat, Pray, Run
Hello all,
Today was a wonderful, relaxing day. I started it off by going on a run. Normally I run at our tiny little fitness room at our apartment complex. I've had many awkward encounters in that room, so my friend Amanda suggested going to mapmyrun.com and finding a path outdoors to run. I've been pretty spoiled on my treadmill, not having to face things like hills or wind, but man was it worth it!! I had the beautiful fall trees to stare at rather than a tv, and a breeze to cool me off rather than fans blowing around hot air in that little room. I don't know why I didn't do this sooner!
As I was running, I began to think about my book. I'm currently reading Eat, Pray, Love, and enjoying every single page!! It's so uplifting and wonderful. I hope someday I have the courage to go on an adventure like that (but hopefully I don't have to go through a divorce first, like she did. Yikes). Anyway, the last thing I read in my book was the author talking about Yoga. She said she used to do yoga in New York simply for fitness. But when she arrived in India, she was told that Americans found yoga and brought it back to the west for exercise. However, in India, people do it before they pray, to loosen up their minds and bodies so that they are better prepared to sit for long periods of time in prayer. Much like we do stretching and breathing exercises before acting. Are we about to take off running? Usually not. But it's much easier to focus on something when your body is relaxed and your mind is clear.
Just then, I noticed that my Ipod had mostly been playing Christian music. Now folks, I don't have a lot of Christian music, but what I did have seemed to all be playing in a row, and my Ipod was on shuffle! I had nothing else to think about except the inspiring music and the amazing view of God's work in the colorful trees. I also noticed how much easier it was to thank God for all my blessings when they were right in front of my eyes, and in my ears, and coursing through my veins. Let me tell you, it is much more motivation to listen to a little Krystal Meyers rather than those old ladies who always rush me through my workout so they can use the machines. Next time you work out, try listening to only spiritual music, whatever your beliefs are. Count your blessings and take in the beauty that surrounds you. It makes exercise much more exciting when you have positive things to preoccupy your mind. I am already excited for tomorrow's run!
Also today I went to Kinko's and printed off my script. I got home and immediately started highlighting my lines! Rehearsals for my show begin one week from tonight, and I absolutely can't wait! I'm so thrilled to be back in the theater. I know it's only been a few months since I've been on a stage, but it feels like forever. I'm so excited to make new friends in the cast and crew. I'm pretty nervous too, though. This is my first professional theater experience! I've never been paid to act. In college if I messed up, all was forgiven, because you're there to learn. Out here if you mess up, you could get fired. All the more motivation to be the best!
Later, Rosie called and we started talking wedding plans! Maggi is also engaged, and I can't wait to plan things with her as well! It seems like everything is falling into place, all at once. Life is so good. All the best to you and yours!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Hallelujah!!
PRAISE Him!! I have been CAST!
I went to an audition last weekend for a play called Sunday in New York. On Monday they called to say they wanted me to come to the callbacks! Yahoo! I was definitely happy, but didn't have high hopes, because I hadn't been cast yet in Dallas. So I went to the callback and it was so fun! Turns out there were only 2 other girls up for the lead. So I started to get my hopes up. I thought there would be tons of girls there competing for this role, but just 2 of us?? Those are great odds! I read with 3 great guys that night, who were all cast as well! So they called on Thursday night and offered me the part! I almost cried! I immediately called my mom! Haha. The show is going to be so funny, and I can't wait for rehearsals to start! Never ever ever give up on your dreams!
Sorry for the short post, but Michael, Jared, Amanda and I are going bowling tonight! Yahoo! Have a great weekend!
"Persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragement, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak."
Thomas Carlyle
I went to an audition last weekend for a play called Sunday in New York. On Monday they called to say they wanted me to come to the callbacks! Yahoo! I was definitely happy, but didn't have high hopes, because I hadn't been cast yet in Dallas. So I went to the callback and it was so fun! Turns out there were only 2 other girls up for the lead. So I started to get my hopes up. I thought there would be tons of girls there competing for this role, but just 2 of us?? Those are great odds! I read with 3 great guys that night, who were all cast as well! So they called on Thursday night and offered me the part! I almost cried! I immediately called my mom! Haha. The show is going to be so funny, and I can't wait for rehearsals to start! Never ever ever give up on your dreams!
Sorry for the short post, but Michael, Jared, Amanda and I are going bowling tonight! Yahoo! Have a great weekend!
"Persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragement, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak."
Thomas Carlyle
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