A-Monday A-Musings on a Tuesday

Me as Otto Frank, with the talented Emily Beck as Anne Frank, from our original run back in September.

It's been awhile since I wrote, particularly just one of musing pieces where I try to let whatever currents are charging across my mind dispel themselves across the printed page, in meandering ways that may or may not add to something.  Complete coherency is not my strongest virtue.

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It hung over the season for a long time.  Yes, I wanted to do it, but relearning the lines and concentrating on it was not part of my initial plan for the holidays.  Nevertheless, now that it is complete, I can see that it was very worthwhile.

Yesterday, we performed an edited version of The Diary of Anne Frank for a group of 6th graders at Waycross Middle School.  It's something I wasn't sure was going to go over.  Would the audience behave? Would they laugh at inappropriate times?  Was it the right type of play to present just before the sort of their Christmas break?

Well...they behaved, they laughed appropriately, and the message seemed to make an impression on them.  All the actors hit their spots, and the audience was involved with their lives.  I am particularly grateful to Emily's sister for stepping into the role of Margot, and putting in a fine performance.  I could not have asked for two better stage daughters.  I am also very grateful that Barbara Griffin (Mrs. Frank( gave an introduction to the play that included the vital information that Mr. Frank had applied for refugee status in the United States but was turned down.

I'm not sure that everyone, even withing our cast, understood the parallels between the play and how we were handling the possibility of Syrian refugees, or just our treatment of Muslims in general, but at least it was there if people were willing to grasp it.

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We have finally wrapped up Benjamin's 15th birthday (just in time to gear up for his Christmas).  I naively thought that the driving thing was for when he turns 16, but people in church began to immediately assume that we were going to rush out and get him a learner's permit and let him get behind the wheel.  Oh, no!  You're serious?  

Any rate, we will get the permit soon, but he is going to take Driver's Training from a professional before we think about anything else.  I was thinking we'd wait until post-college, but Alison tells me that's not possible.

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Still getting into trouble suggesting that it is Advent rather than Christmas.  The culture is heavy into accelerating the Christmas season, even among my fellow Episcopalians.  Fine.  Whatever.  Just be patient with me when I'm still wishing you a Merry Christmas on January 5th.  Not my fault you burn yourself out early.

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Why do Alison and I like professional football?  The Lions and Falcons just constantly break your heart, year after year.  The misery is beyond analysis at this point.

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My publishing efforts have come to a screeching halt.  I am leaning more to the CreateSpace self publishing route, but even there I am experiencing incredible inertia.  I don't know what it will take to get me back on track.

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Oy.  The clock.  I would like to write more, but I'm only 10% retired, and my bill-paying mechanism needs to be attended to.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait