Amen and Amen

No one should die because they do not have access to a chick-fil-a, and no one should go broke because they have to drive hours to get to a chick-fil-a.

Just a little spoof of the Facebook status on ObamaCare that is going around today...

An Open Letter to Those Who Pay With Cash

Dear Cash Paying Customers,

Why is it that you feel the need to give me your extra change? Yes, I know that your total came to $5.71. That means that it makes zero sense for you to give me $21.64 to pay for your chicken sandwich. I am just going to give you $15.93. That is just as random and will involve more coins than giving me exact change or even better, and less time consuming, just give me the twenty dollar bill. Or a ten. You hold up the cars behind you when dig around for change in your cigarette tray or your purse or your pocket.

I'm guessing that it makes you feel better to know that you will get back just one dime rather than an odd amount of 17 cents or that you will get back a quarter rather than some other odd number. However, this really only makes me want to give you back the most number of coins I can.

So, please, next time, just give me the twenty. It will save us all a lot of time and honestly, if you do give me the strange change, I'm probably going to give you a lot of pennies.

Thanks,
Theresa

God Sightings/Moments

The past two days have not been the best. I don't know what is wrong with me, but I have cried and cried and cried. I just feel blah and I feel that outside circumstances have just added to my feelings of blah-ness.

I have been repeating my comfort verses over and over to myself; "The King is enthralled with your beauty, Honor Him for He is your Lord." I still don't feel very pretty. My clothes don't fit, I hate what I have to wear everyday, boys do/say stupid things, people in general do/say stupid things, and my pride is at a ridiculous all time high. I am cranky and basically a Negative Nancy. I cannot agree with anything anyone says. None of this makes for a very happy camper. People are trying to help and I am turning them down. What is wrong with me?

I have had trouble finding joy, and so, I decided that this was the day to find joy. I decided this as I was driving to work at 5:30 AM, crying all the way. So, God and I had a little one on one. And He spoke His promises to me, sweetly and softly. And I cried some more. I am telling you, my hormones must be on fire. I haven't cried in awhile.

It all started when I was cleaning something or another and a fireman walked in and ordered his food. He was polite enough, nothing out of the ordinary. A few minutes later, he had his food and sat down to eat. I glanced over and he was praying. I immediately thanked God for allowing me to see that I am not alone. That I am a part of something bigger and that others share my search for the truest form of joy.

Then, a customer (a regular customer, at that) was a little more rude than usual. A friend of mine, Nick Cash, happened to be standing there and his face showed his feelings on the situation at hand. The lady walked away and Nick commented on her behavior. I told him it was par for the course with her and he still thought it was totally uncalled for-which, for the record, it was. After some time had passed, Nick came back up to the counter and said the following:

Theresa, you are doing a great job. No matter what anyone says or does, you are the apple of your Father's eye. Have a great day!

At this point, I am choking back more tears. I barely manage to get out "Thank you" before he is out the door and gone.

The rest of my day was filled with my sweet sister, a visit from my dad, Sarah Ann, and Mary Lou, sweet texts from friends, and finally being able to work on what my mom calls my "real work."

God is faithful in all things, at all times. His grace was evident today in all of the little moments He allowed me to experience.

Chick-fil-A

For those of you who don't know, and I assuming that is most of you, I started working for Chick-fil-A this past week. There were a lot of factors in my making this decision, the biggest one being money. Ever since my senior year of high school when I worked for Country's BBQ, I swore I would never work in the food industry again. However, the schedule is also going to be awesome and it is a job that I can go to and leave it there at work when I go home. It is going to be great with school in the fall.

The first SIX hours of working at Chick-fil-A are spent watching videos. Yes, folks. That's right. SIX WHOLE HOURS. A lot of it was pretty stupid, but I really enjoyed hearing the Truett Cathy story and how Chick-fil-A came to be. After watching several interviews (approx. an hour's worth), I got kinda excited about working for this company. The Cathy's aren't pulling anyone's leg with their reasons for being closed on Sundays and being a beacon of light in a dark world. This family truly loves the Lord and is committed to providing excellent service to those who come into contact with Chick-fil-A. This may sound super silly, but it made me want to truly put my best foot forward because, now, I feel like if I don't, I am letting Truett Cathy himself down. I know. It sounds absurd. It's just a fast food joint. But I swear it's not. There is something different about this company. I know what that something different is. It's in their purpose statement.

"That we might glorify God by being a faithful steward in all that is entrusted to our care, and that we might have a positive influence on all the people that we might come in contact with."

I mean, come on! How obvious can it be? It's all about service and it's all about doing it in the name of Jesus. I love that.

So, come see me at Chick-fil-A and I promise there will be true sincerity behind every "My pleasure." Every time.

Emma

My newest joy in life is keeping five little girls a couple of days a week. These five sisters all have curly hair, they are all extremely bright, and they all have feisty little personalities. But each of them have unique qualities that endear them to myself and today I want to talk about Emma.

Emma is eight years old and in the fourth grade. She is my little "chatty-kathy." She is sweet-tempered, confident, competitive, and smart. She plays the piano, takes gymnastics, and rides horses. She likes to play with her dolls and wants to be a fashion designer, but is just as comfortable playing outside and rolling around on the ground with the pups or her little sister, Maggie.

One of the traits that I have noticed in Emma that I have learned to love and want to imitate, is her quickness to admit she is wrong or to preemptively say "...but, I could be wrong." Or, "...well, I think I'm right, but you could be right." Her willingness to listen, express her opinion, and still be able to accept what you say and the possibility that she may be wrong in her statements, opinions, and ideas is something that I have certainly learned a lesson from and is a lesson that I think we could all stand a little review on.

There were several times today when I overheard her in conversations with her sisters or was personally told "...oh, wait! I'm wrong! You're right." Her sweet temper in saying that statement, the arguments that were avoided by her honesty, and the example that she is setting not only for her sisters, but for everyone around her is something that I love and appreciate. I hope I learn more from Emma as I continue to spend time with her and become more willing to just say "I was wrong. You were right."

Arts Education

Part of my job at the Springer is serving as editor of "The Callboard." "The Callboard" is a news publication that we are working on getting out to the high schools here in the Columbus area. Our goal is to becomes the information hub for high schools in the southeast. However, we are starting out pretty small. In each issue we will highlight at least one school and have a calender of all upcoming productions from each school. Also, we will include a list of suggested books and movies, advice from the professionals at the Springer, letters to the editor, etc. We are very excited about this venture and what it can become.

One of the stories that I have been working on for our first issue has to do with obstacles within the schools, especially when it comes to the theater departments. All schools have obstacles of some kind, some more than others, and it seems that the Arts programs suffer the most. In an interesting conversation with a South Columbus teacher, the educator remarked that it was often her class that kids were pulled in order to prepare them for the graduation exam that is required to exit high school. I think that there are several interesting ideas behind this comment. One being the fact that it is necessary to prepare these kids specifically for the graduation test. Another being that these students are pulled from arts classes. Theatre, band, visual art, etc. I am going to have to address these issues separately. I am going to start with the latter.

According to school boards and administrations across the country, theater, visual arts, band, and other Art forms have no place in the public school forum. These classes are the first to have their budgets cut and the first departments to be cut out altogether. In fact, the arts are sooner dropped than any athletic program. Why is it that these classes are considered expendable? A child’s education consists of subjects such as math, science, English, and social sciences, as well as other subjects. There are no options given to students as to whether or not they want to take these courses. However when it comes to the arts, these courses are seen as electives and may be taken or not taken depending on the child. Why is it that we believe that math, science, history, etc, should be required and the arts can be pushed to the wayside?

I believe that Arts Education is vital to a well rounded education because of what the arts encourage and provide in a child’s life. As a student of music and theatre, I appreciate what the arts have done for me as a person. The arts provided a healthy and safe environment for me to grow as not only an actor and musician, but as a person. I learned how to speak in front of people of all ages with ease and comfort; I learned how to experiment with various methods of presentation without fear of failing; I became comfortable making bold choices; and I was afforded opportunities to learn how to lead and follow effectively in a group. I speak from experience when I say that children who experience the arts are better equipped to become the future leaders that our communities and our world so desperately need. Team work, discipline, commitment, and confidence are all a part of an arts education and are qualities that I do not think we can afford to exclude from any child’s educational experience.

My Job

I enjoy my job a great deal. Actually, I really love my job. My job centers around children and education, but I also get to work behind the scenes or in the spotlight with the various productions that the Springer puts on. I am going to talk about both parts of my job, but today I am going to focus on one aspect of it.

I am doing my "day job" in the Academy office, but I am also working on "A Tuna Christmas" in Foley Hall. For those of you who do not know much about this show, Ron Anderson and Paul Pierce play about twelve characters a piece, men and women, adults and children. It is pretty darn funny. There are three stage hands back stage. I am one of them and Kern C. and Ben R. finish out the team. We have the most fun with the show when Ron and Paul are having a good time. I can't explain the feeling that I get when Ron or Paul walk off stage laughing to themselves about what happened on stage, the audience's reaction to what happened on stage, or both. The fact that they enjoy their job makes me enjoy mine so much more.

I found the same to be true when I was working on "Father of the Bride." Ron Anderson directed the show and his obvious enjoyment of the show and the people in the show made the experience all the richer.

I have been a part of Springer productions for the past ten years and I have always felt safe, loved, and cared for. Paul has a saying that I love to hear; "The first time you're here, you're a guest. The second time, you're family." How true that is.

God Bless Fort Benning

God Bless Fort Benning is an annual event where we take a day to thank the men and women who serve our country. The Springer always takes stilt walkers. I don't really have a lot to say about the day. It was one that left me a bit speechless. You can read what the Ledger Enquirer wrote. They say a picture says a thousand words. Here are a couple from yesterday.

Inspiration

As I walked into work this afternoon, I walked past the scene shop. A bevy of noises were coming from the room that holds a large part of the Peter Pan set. Hammers, saws, drills, and oldies music spilled over into the green room. I smiled as I continued my way up the stairs, but paused when I looked back over my shoulder and saw Paul Pierce, the Artistic Director, bent over a set piece, hammer in hand. It was a deja vu for me. One of my most vivid memories of Paul is from 2002. We were in the middle of our production of Annie, which was my first main stage production at the Springer. Something had fallen off a set piece moments before the curtain went up. Next thing I know, Paul, in his tux, is standing in a chair, nail in mouth, hammer in hand, fixing the set. I remember being somewhat intimidated by Paul at the time and seeing him do what any stage manager, scene shop dude, or technician would do, made me that much more in awe of him, but brought him more down to the level of human being for me. It was just as normal to him to fix the set as it was and is to work on the budget, plan the next season, and sell big ideas to major companies. What a wonderful example of work ethic and humility.

This is one of the reasons that I love theatre so much. We all work together to make sure the job gets done. From the Artistic Director working in the scene shop to the Lighting Designer also designing sound and sending a tour out, we all do what it takes to make it perfectly wonderful for our audience. It wouldn't be possible without every team member.

Speaking of wonderful shows, Peter Pan opens the day after Thanksgiving and runs through December 23. Call the Box Office for tickets! 706.327.3688

Goodnight, Moon.

Thursday morning, Mr. Ron took Kern and I to Atlanta to see "Goodnight, Moon" at the Alliance Theatre. I wasn't sure what to expect not having read the script, however I was ready for pretty much anything.

It is always interesting to me to see how other people approach children's theatre. There isn't necessarily a right or wrong way, in my opinion. There are general guidelines that most choose to go by, but the parameters are broad.

This Thursday morning at the Alliance Theatre seemed much like a Thursday morning at the Springer. Buses were pulling up, children were piling out, and teachers were counting and recounting heads. Mr. Ron remarked with a laugh that kids in Atlanta look a lot like kids in Columbus. He is a clever, clever man. But, I digress.

We took our seats several minutes before the show and my attention went, once again, to the children in the audience. They were excited and fidgety. As soon as the house lights went down, so did the chatter and you could hear the "Ooos" and "Ahhs" as the drop revealed a starry night and a man in a night cap, partially hidden by some "clouds". This was the piano player. The curtain speech was a recorded voice, which in my opinion is an unwise decision in children's theare. An actual person should, in my opinion, come out and give the curtain speech, giving the children someone to focus on. This allows for a thorough explanation of what is expected of the audience. Considering the age of the children in the audience, it was quite possible that many, if not most, had never been to the theatre before.

The house lights dimmed once more and the starry night went away, revealing in it's place the great green room. I was more than a little awe struck at the exactness of the set. It was as if the picture in the book had come to life. The characters were charming, the music bright and inviting, and the special effects were just the icing on the cake.

The Bunny, in particular, had a stage presence that grabbed the kids attention. The mouse did little to nothing for me, while the Old Lady-who-whispered-hush had a voice that made me melt. Her rendition of "Goodnight, Moon" had me in tears. (Shocking, I know.) The Tooth Fairy, Larry, made an appearance and the actor playing this character was just great. His deadpan humor and exceptional comedic timing helped to move the show along and secure him a place of admiration in my heart. He was fantastic.

The special effects are something worth talking about. From the lamp that moved to the clock with eyes to the covers on the bed moving to the end of the bed to the fireplace decorations that came alive to the doll house, the cow that jumped over the moon, the bears in the picture and the man on the moon, the effects were phenomenal.

There was only one moment in the show where they lost not only the kids, but me as well. The mouse had a ballad and for whatever reason, be it her or the song, the kids began to fidget and squirm...and so did I.

Overall, a wonderful experience. There is still time to see this show, as it runs through this weekend. Click here for more information.

Children's Books

My co-worker, Kern, asked me a little while ago about my favorite children's books. I had to think about that for a minute. I have read a lot of children's books and I do have favorites, but they are pretty classic and not exactly what she was looking for.

My Grandmother used to read "Goodnight Moon" to me when I was little. I really love this one.


Curious George is another favorite. I don't know what it is about that little monkey that gets me so much, but he sure does get me. Ben Garcia has this little face that he makes that looks just like Curious George. So cute.

I am also a HUGE fan of anything by Beatrix Potter. Hunka-Munka was a personal favorite of mine, as well as my siblings. It was really just too much fun to say Hunka-Munka.

Also, a new favorite is Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. I first heard of this when the Springer did the stage production two summers ago.


Another one that I fell in love with, although I was already in love with this one and I was just re-introduced to this one, is "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" series. The Springer did "If you Give a Pig a Party" this past summer and it was just too cute!

Just a small reading list for the younger readers. SJC, take note, ok?

And so it goes

Leave it to Ron Anderson to make life a little more complicated than it already was. After leaving LaGrange College, changing my major thirty times (ok, it's only been six times, but still...), and falling in love with journalism and photography, I thought the whole theatre bug was out of my system. Even working at the Springer Opera House and doing Winnie the Pooh didn't make me second guess myself. However, Mr. Ron casting me in Father of the Bride and the process I have gone through with that production has made the wheels in my head start to turn. And I don't know how I feel about that.

In the long term plan that I have in my head, I see myself finishing school, moving to D.C. or somewhere similar and writing for a newspaper or freelancing and writing for several papers, being a photographer and going to crazy places to get the perfect shot, changing the world one picture and/or article at a time, and traveling a good deal. Theatre was not a part of this equation. And I didn't want it to be. I was burnt out and in need of something else. However, I find that this is a job that I enjoy immensely. I get paid to play, read, research, be someone else for a little while, and spend time with really interesting people. I get to be the diversion that people seek when the world goes to hell in a handbag. Because of my job in the theatre, I have a voice that people are listening to. I have the opportunity to impact communities, tell a story that has either never been told or has been forgotten, and relieve the stress that people are feeling in their everyday lives. I am a part of an industry that has survived wars, depressions, and economic recessions. I do like that.

I could be a writer and an actor and a photographer. Either way, I'll be poor. It's not like any of those professions are something that one chooses to do for the money. I could still work with children and be apart of the arts education movement that I am so passionate about. I could freelance and finish that book. I could take pictures on tour, do headshots and other various shoots. This could work. It really could.

Thanks a lot, Mr. Ron.

Opening Night

There is something about opening night that is nerve racking, exciting, and terrifying all at the same time. During our cast and crew meeting, our director told us that there are two things that actors think about right before they go on stage; "Is my zipper up?" and "What is my first line?". He's right. I checked my dress and kept repeating "Good Morning, Everybody!" over and over again.

Nerves didn't really hit me tonight. Rehearsals have been so productive and that provided a sense of security. That along with the fact that we have a fantastic team of actors on stage working together to pick each other up should we fall.

Today was a nice, relaxing day. A late morning rehearsal, lunch with Anthony, a trip to the GAP and an errand for Anthony, a trip to Barnes and Noble, back to the theatre for a radio spot (Listen to 95.3 in the morning from 6-8:35), and then we had our first show. Nothing strenuous. I was relaxed, focused, and ready to attack the show with vigor and gusto.

Great audience tonight. They seemed to love the show and we most definitely loved them. Being able to hear how an audience reacts to certain moments made the night fun for all involved.

If you want to read the article from the paper, click here.

The show runs through November 1st! Come see it!

My Day "Off"

Yesterday was supposed to be my day off. And technically, it was. I didn't have to be at the theatre all day, which was nice, but I did get up and run a 5k, campaign for my Uncle Terry, go to my sister's birthday party, and babysit three of the sweetest boys that I know.

The 5k was held by the Historic Preservation Society. It was downtown and the course provided a lovely view of one of oldest parts of Columbus. I ran the race in about thirty minutes, which I am pretty OK with. I shaved five minutes off of my last 5k time.

Campaigning was next on the list and I teamed up with Andy and Doug for that. We covered a pretty good piece of ground for it just being the three of us.

Afterwards, I headed out to Mom and Dad's for Katie's birthday party. She turned ten yesterday. Her big birthday present was that she got to go to dinner with Caroline and Eathan and then the Taylor Swift concert. She didn't give us quite the reaction that we thought we were going to get, but Ben was kind enough to act out what he thought she should have done.


Mom, Caroline, and I headed up to Upatoi United Methodist Church to get BBQ plates from the fall festival they were having. We got to visit with old friends and neighbors. It was a nice time. Afterwards, Mom took Mary Lou to get her drivers license. Scary, right?

A nap was in order after all the festivities and then off to babysit the Alford boys, William, Henry, and Andrew. This was the most hilarious part of my day. We watched "Frosty the Snowman" twice, "The return of Frosty the Snowman", "Boz, the green bear", and "Scooby Doo." William made a HUGE pallet on the floor and we all snuggled up to watch T.V.. Popcorn, graham crackers, and water were the snacks of the night.


Baths were an adventure, as was bedtime. I am going to confess a lot here in the next paragraph or so. Parents who were thinking about asking me to babysit, please do not let this deter you from asking me. Kids love me. Seriously. So, I got confused as to where everyone was supposed to sleep. William tried to tell me and I thought that he was trying to trick me (since I did that to a babysitter once). I had to apologize to him when I realized that he was right.

William and Andrew went to sleep almost immediately. Henry, on the other hand, did not. He kept getting up and "sneaking" out. I finally went back and laid down with him. After about twenty minutes with no success, I asked him if he wanted some ice cream. Of course, his answer was yes and I told him to sneak down the hallway. I really just did this for my own amusement. He would tiptoe down the hallway with his hands up in the air like he was about to pounce on something. Hilarious. We got into the kitchen, got settled, and started eating our ice cream. All of the sudden, Henry looked at me, grinned, and said "We are going to be in big trouble." I about died laughing.

We finished up and went back to bed, where Henry proceeded to pretend to sleep and snore. Again, bouts of giggles filled his room. We both ended up falling asleep. I confessed everything to Brian and Stephenie and we all had a good laugh. I can't wait to babysit the boys again.

Overall, a great day. I just need a nap now.

The Job

After a ton of prayer and breakfast with Mr. Ron, I was called into the Springer to discuss a new position that has become available. Mr. Ron talked with me for about an hour before asking me if I was interested and, of course, I gave a resounding "YES!"

What is the job, you ask? I am the new Education Assistant at the Springer Opera House. In addition to updating the Academy database, putting together study guides for the schools coming to Academy productions, conducting tours and workshops, teaching and T.A. fall and winter classes, and making visits to schools to discuss the upcoming productions, I will also be the editor of the new publication that the Springer will be publishing called "The Call Board." I could not be any happier. I get to do all the things that I love so much and get paid to do it.

Thrilled doesn't even begin to describe how I feel. I can't wait to tell you how the first day goes!

Breakfast with Mr. Ron

It's kind of like therapy, Dear Abby, and John Tecsh all rolled into one. That's right, it's breakfast with Mr. Ron.

Morning coffee is the norm when Mr. Ron calls and asks you if want to get together to chat. Actually, he doesn't really ask you if you want to have coffee or chat. It's more like "I still drink coffee in the mornings...", which is when you think "If Mr. Ron didn't still drink coffee at any point during the day, it either means that hell has frozen over or that the world is coming to an end." But what you say is "Want to get together in the morning?" Of course he says yes and of course you set up the time and place. When you arrive at the designated coffee shop, you order a nice, strong cup of coffee and get comfortable. You know that the conversation will entail a variety of topics from politics to theatre to school to life in general.

This morning was no different. I bare my soul. Mr. Ron listens, nods his head, his eyes well up as he feels your pain and joy, and then he offers the advice that you obviously asked for by agreeing to have coffee with him. Today's conversation started with politics and then moved to more personal subjects.

I'm not going to go into the dirty details. But I do want to share some lessons that I learned over the summer that were the discussed this morning.

1. "Just when you thought it was about to work..." I know that reading this, you are thinking that that is a negative comment to make. However, when I hear this and when I say it, it brings a very positive thought to my mind. The best example that Mr. Ron could have set for me this summer was that no matter the situation, he was prepared for the plan that we made to not go as planned. However, until then, we were going to keep on a truckin'. It's that simple.
2. The only constant in life is change. I wanted everything to be the same this summer as I headed back to the Springer for the ninth time. But when I arrived, I found that while the Springer was the same (kids still wearing gray tee shirts, teachers teaching, Mr. Ron giving "Mr. Ron talks"), I was vastly different. As Mr. Ron put it, two weeks was enough time to figure out that my role at the Springer was different, but not enough time to learn what my new role was. I'm not the girl that spent every summer at the Springer. I went away, went to college, came home, got a job, went through some very personal and emotional situations and the girl that existed just two and a half years ago doesn't exist anymore. That sounds hard and it was (and is). However, I am making peace with that.
3. Inasmuch as I thought that I knew myself REALLY well, I don't. I mean, I know me pretty well and there are parts of me that that I can still say I know. This summer confirmed that. However, there were parts of me that I either didn't know at all or was refusing to admit that I didn't know. I learned that I am more of a big picture girl that is unafraid of making big decisions. But I finally admitted that when it comes to smaller pictures, I am so emotionally invested and attached that I have a hard time making those pictures work and am actually afraid of making decisions in those areas. I learned that I can fire someone, how to be a better listener, that I am not a mind reader, how to be a better boss, and I learned that maybe I am not ready for the hat that Mr. Ron asked me to wear this summer.

Mr. Ron offered opinions and advice on my future, my present, and how to deal with the past. Per usual, he told me he was on my team and that he was proud of me. Ahh. Sweet music to my ears. I told him that I was going on an job interview this afternoon and after some pointers from him, I know for a fact that I have never been so prepared for an interview. Ever.

Aside from the great advice, the opportunity to vent, and the feelings of being loved, admired, and supported, I came away with some great one liners and quotes. Mr. Ron is good at that. He's just so darn quotable. And with that in mind, I'm just going to "roll with it", knowing that the plan is "subject to change."