Reaching Out!
My husband and I watched an amazing movie last night. The kids went to bed at 8:00, so we decided to Netflix and chill. The movie was 'Whiplash', about a drummer in a very good music school in New York. He had a very demanding band leader and struggled to keep up with the over-the-top requirements, but pushed himself to reach his own limits and then pushed himself even more.
My husband studied music in college. He's a drummer, so this movie truly spoke to him. We talked afterwards and he expressed disappointment in the way he was taught. He wished he'd had better teachers, mentors or role models during college. This is something we have in common.
When I was a theater major, working towards my BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) at Ohio University, I did have some wonderful acting coaches, voice coaches and theater history professors. However, there were a couple of profs who discouraged me. They told me to lose a lot of weight (I was only 160 at the time). I lost twenty pounds over winter break. It wasn't enough. Auditions were brutal. I didn't get in to the first plays. I didn't get into the next round, either. I left the department and changed my major. Looking back, I gave up to easily.
I auditioned at four theater schools (Miami, Butler, DePaul and OU). I got accepted to all and offered a half ride scholarship to three of them. I wanted to go to DePaul University in Chicago. I got in, got an academic scholarship and was thrilled. Ohio University also offered me a half ride for academics, and I had the Procter and Gamble scholarship for my SAT scores. Those things made OU the best financial choice for my parents, who were footing the bill. DePaul would have been quite a reach for them, but they said I could go, if I felt that it was the right place for me.
I had a decision to make. DePaul was the best acting school. OU was only three hours away from home. DePaul was five, on a good day. Lincoln Park was incredibly intimidating to me. Athens, Ohio was beautiful and comforting. I made the decision to go to OU. My high school theater teacher was confused when I decided to go to OU. He couldn't imagine why I would go to Athens, in the middle of nothing, when I could go to DePaul, in the middle of Chicago! Chicago would have more acting opportunities, in and outside of school. I knew all of those things. I still chose OU.
It's a decision that I often think about. I had a hard time at OU. Was it the place, or was it ME? I'll never know. I can't go back in time to find out. I love my life and I don't regret not becoming a famous actress (yes, I still believe I had the talent to do that), but I do miss the theater. I miss performing. I was a music minor, too. I miss playing my flute and singing for an audience. I miss running lines with people. I miss challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone and take those kinds of risks.
The interesting thing about my time of life is that I don't have to miss out on things that I love. I love being a wife, mother, unschooling 'teacher' and writer. I'm pretty good at those things. My husband and I have built a very solid foundation. We can now extend ourselves in other ways. We have the time, the desire and determination. We can be in our best physical shape. We can play in a rock band. We can perform in a play. We can start businesses.
We can be the best versions of ourselves that we can possibly be. Real dreams don't die. They just fade away for a little while. We can always get them back, or make new ones. There's still time.
My husband studied music in college. He's a drummer, so this movie truly spoke to him. We talked afterwards and he expressed disappointment in the way he was taught. He wished he'd had better teachers, mentors or role models during college. This is something we have in common.
When I was a theater major, working towards my BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) at Ohio University, I did have some wonderful acting coaches, voice coaches and theater history professors. However, there were a couple of profs who discouraged me. They told me to lose a lot of weight (I was only 160 at the time). I lost twenty pounds over winter break. It wasn't enough. Auditions were brutal. I didn't get in to the first plays. I didn't get into the next round, either. I left the department and changed my major. Looking back, I gave up to easily.
I auditioned at four theater schools (Miami, Butler, DePaul and OU). I got accepted to all and offered a half ride scholarship to three of them. I wanted to go to DePaul University in Chicago. I got in, got an academic scholarship and was thrilled. Ohio University also offered me a half ride for academics, and I had the Procter and Gamble scholarship for my SAT scores. Those things made OU the best financial choice for my parents, who were footing the bill. DePaul would have been quite a reach for them, but they said I could go, if I felt that it was the right place for me.
I had a decision to make. DePaul was the best acting school. OU was only three hours away from home. DePaul was five, on a good day. Lincoln Park was incredibly intimidating to me. Athens, Ohio was beautiful and comforting. I made the decision to go to OU. My high school theater teacher was confused when I decided to go to OU. He couldn't imagine why I would go to Athens, in the middle of nothing, when I could go to DePaul, in the middle of Chicago! Chicago would have more acting opportunities, in and outside of school. I knew all of those things. I still chose OU.
It's a decision that I often think about. I had a hard time at OU. Was it the place, or was it ME? I'll never know. I can't go back in time to find out. I love my life and I don't regret not becoming a famous actress (yes, I still believe I had the talent to do that), but I do miss the theater. I miss performing. I was a music minor, too. I miss playing my flute and singing for an audience. I miss running lines with people. I miss challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone and take those kinds of risks.
The interesting thing about my time of life is that I don't have to miss out on things that I love. I love being a wife, mother, unschooling 'teacher' and writer. I'm pretty good at those things. My husband and I have built a very solid foundation. We can now extend ourselves in other ways. We have the time, the desire and determination. We can be in our best physical shape. We can play in a rock band. We can perform in a play. We can start businesses.
We can be the best versions of ourselves that we can possibly be. Real dreams don't die. They just fade away for a little while. We can always get them back, or make new ones. There's still time.
Comments
Post a Comment