• I love my work. Especially when it involves Shakespeare – that, I think, is my favorite gig. Yesterday was a long day, but I was completely energized by it. Completely! We spent about four hours on table work, then Darko had to leave for another commitment. After lunch, I spent 90 minutes working with Romeo and then another 90 minutes working with Juliet. In each case, we started to go through their individual lines word by word, checking the rhythm, the stress, the pronunciation, and the meaning.
I’m a lover of words. I am a lover of Shakespeare’s words, which – to me – are deeply profound. So, to have the chance to work with them, to hopefully inspire the actors I’m working with, and, in turn, get inspired myself? Heaven.
Rather than being tired at the end of the day, I was flying high. What a gift that is. I’m very grateful.
• Recognize my quilt? There was a perfectly nice quilt on the bed when I arrived, but it was probably a tad too heavy for my taste. Besides, I’ve learned that bringing a quilt from home, in this case, one I made, makes things homier. I also brought a shawl/throw that I knitted several years ago, which lives on the sofa.
Bits of home brought to my home-away-from-home. Or as Don calls it: my Mary Tyler Moore Life.
• Case in point: I came home last night, called Don, made some dinner and, after watching Jeopardy, decided there was nothing worth watching on the tube. I pulled out my Kindle and my current read, which was another book by Jane Casey. Snuggled in that throw you see on the sofa, I read and read and read until the phone rang a little after 10, which is normally the time I go to bed.
It was Don, wondering why he hadn’t heard from me. (We always call each other to say goodnight.) I told him I’d been reading and had lost track of the time. What did he say? “Look at you, in your apartment, reading for hours, leading your Mary Tyler Moore Life!”
I think he gets a real kick out of it. Never mind that my preferred place would be cuddled up to him on our sofa in the den. But, it is a luxury at this point in our lives to read for three hours uninterrupted. Scoutie needs a lot of hands-on care right now, so when I’m home, I rarely get to do anything without keeping one eye on her. Neither does Don. I’d rather be with her, but if I can’t, I might as well enjoy one of the perks of being away from home.
• In the blogging world: I see so many younger bloggers getting book deals and not so many older bloggers getting book deals. I suppose it’s like anything in life, ‘young’ sells. I’m sure they’re thrilled and they should be and it’s all wonderful and I’m happy for them. But when I see their books as I’m out and about and look at the content or the advice or the tips…it’s always stuff I already know. I find myself shaking my head, thinking “There’s nothing new here!”
I suspect I’m not the target audience.
I suppose that’s also the way of the world. The older generation is wiser, simply because they’ve lived longer and learned the lessons that the younger generation is just now discovering. And when that younger generation ‘discovers’ something, it seems new and fresh.
But it isn’t.
I’m not a parent, but I imagine this is much the same thing that parents witness with their children. I’ve experienced it as a teacher. We can give them tips, tell them what we’ve learned, show them the way… but until they have that light bulb moment and discover it themselves, much of our wisdom and advice falls on deaf ears.
And, yes, of course I’d love a book deal, but in truth, I have no idea what the heck I’d write about! Anyway, even if I did have the ghost of an idea, I doubt it would fly in this world of younger-bloggers- turned-authors.
The same thing happens on television and in the movies; impossibly young and beautiful actors playing doctors, scientists and/or high-powered attorneys. Really? Older and wiser and experienced and whatever adjective you can come up with does have a place, but it’s very limited.
• Today: more table work, which is endlessly fascinating to me. I’m looking forward to it.
Happy Thursday.
